Older Persons Service

Due to significant demographic changes, medical advances and improved life expectancies, ours is becoming an increasingly ageing society with more and more people living on into in their 80s - and even into their 90s. Of course, as people get older, the demands on society for extra support begins to rise.

However, at Gentoo we recognise that by understanding their needs and helping them achieve their desire to stay in their own homes for as long as they can, older people can continue to contribute a huge amount to society.

As a result, we have set up our Older Person’s Team. Its aim is to provide more life choices and greater opportunities for independent living, which it does by offering specialist support that meets the needs of the local community, and which complements existing services.

The team also provides housing-related assistance for older people who want to keep their independence, but have difficulty in maintaining a home of their own - whether the person concerned lives in specifically designed accommodation, such as sheltered housing, or the home they have been in all their life.

Today, the team supports 1,500 older people throughout the city at any one time and delivers a comprehensive range of essential services that can help prevent hospital admissions, reduce the need for institutional care and improve the quality of life of older people.

Sheltered Housing

  • Our purpose-built sheltered housing schemes consist of cosy, self-contained apartments that have been specially designed to cater for the needs of older people. These comfortable dwellings provide secure accommodation for independent living and provide the opportunity to make new friends, if that’s what the residents wish.

    We also provide a number of amenities for the customers’ enjoyment. These include
    • communal lounge for socialising
    • guest room
    • laundry
    • door-entry systems
    • other facilities, such as a hairdresser or assistedbathing.

    For our customers’ total peace of mind, each apartment is connected to a 24-hour call-alarm system. So even when the Support Co-ordinator is off duty, they know there’s always someone on hand to help should they need it. (On these occasions this facility is linked to Sunderland Telecare or cover is provided by another Support Co-ordinator.)

     

    Our Sheltered Housing Schemes are available in a number of areas

    Central Area
    Gilhurst House
    High Grindon House

    South Area
    Croftside House
    Tom Urwin House

    North Area
    Albany House

    Washington
    Peacehaven Court
    Roseberry Court

Cluster Schemes Across the City

  • We’ve made sure that all our cluster schemes have a dedicated member of the Older Person’s Team either based on site or in a nearby office. Their job is to offer lots of support to customers within the scheme, as well as to those in the surrounding areas who require a little extra help to maintain their independence in their own home.

    The schemes consist of purpose-built one- and two-bedroom bungalows. Ten of these have communal facilities for the use of residents and other older people in the surrounding areas. 

    Central Area
    Auckland Homes
    Grangemere Close
    Hollinside Road
    Phoenix Road

    North Area
    Capetown Square
    Conyers and Brabant
    Southwick

    Houghton & Hetton
    Churchill Square
    Easington Lane
    High Downs Square
    Nidderdale Avenue
    Princess Gardens
    The Cove

    Washington
    Brancepeth Road
    Hambleton Road
    Knoulberry Road

Floating Support

  • Gentoo is responsible for a total of 25 multi-storey tower blocks across the city of Sunderland. One of our dedicated Support Co-ordinators operates within each block, offering support for anyone aged 60 or over who needs help in looking after themselves and their home.

    Although the apartments in our blocks vary in size, most usually comprise of one or two bedrooms, a bathroom, a separate kitchen and living space. Each block also has a number of services which are shared by other customers in the same accommodation. These include caretaking, cleaning and communal areas –and customers pay a service charge for the use of these facilities.

    Our multi-storey blocks are located in the following areas:

    Central Area
    City Green and Benedict Court
    Lambton, Londonderry and Lumley Tower
    Hedworth, D’arcy and South Durham Court
    Planet, Astral and Solar House

    South Area
    Aden, Australia and Aldenham Tower
    Altrincham and Aberdeen Tower
    Amalfi and Amble Tower

    North Area
    Church Street and Dock Street
    Dame Dorothy, Victor Street and Zetland Square
    Devonshire and Eglington Tower

Wellbeing Service

  • Our new Wellbeing Service is an innovative new service delivered to Older People in Sunderland.
     
    At Gentoo we believe in enabling people to achieve their aspirations and live the life that they choose.
     
    There may come a time when customers need some extra help to stay in their own home and we can help them to do this.
     
    We have a dedicated team of staff to provide services that are specific to their needs - this can be for as little as a few days or until individual needs are met.
     
    We work closely with a number of partner agencies to help our customers live the life they choose.
     
    This could be by helping with:
     
    • Equipment and Adaptations
    • Getting in touch with other professionals e.g. Adult Services
    • Financial support and advice e.g. Benefit Checks
    • Getting involved in their community
    • Housing related issues
    • Attending social activities e.g. Lunch Clubs
    • Making sure their home is safe
     
     
    If you or someone you know could benefit from this service, contact the Wellbeing Team at Gentoo on 0191 525 5000 or email us at wellbeingteam@gentoogroup.com