Project backed by Integrated Care Fund provides support for about 50 people per month
Cardiff Council has claimed a success for its ‘Smart House’ project in supporting people to maintain their independence and continue living in their own homes.
It is running a service in partnership with the Vale of Glamorgan Council and Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, in which teams from the health service, housing and social care use the centre in Llanishen to help people to stay at home for longer, as well as preventing hospital admissions or delays in discharge from hospital.
The Smart House has been developed at the Cardiff and Vale joint equipment service with funding from the Welsh Government's Integrated Care Fund. The facility showcases the state-of-the-art equipment, aids and adaptations that are available for people that need additional support to live independently.
Around 50 people a month, mostly older people or those with disabilities, visit the centre to view adaptations and equipment. It also provides an important assessment environment for occupational therapists to trial new equipment that can improve an individual's ability to perform basic tasks.
Cardiff’s cabinet member for social care, health and wellbeing, Councillor Susan Elsmore (pictured), said: "Since opening in 2015, the Independent Living Centre has been extremely successful, in providing opportunities for health, housing and social care professionals to work together and combine their expertise to achieve a positive outcome for citizens, whether that be a safe and independent discharge from hospital, or facilitating an adaptation to an individual's home to improve their independence.
"The service is a really excellent example of integrated working across the health, housing and social care sectors."
