'Age Well – East Sussex' project

The 'Age Well – East Sussex' project aims to improve care for older people by developing a range of services and supporting more people in their own homes.

In June 2010 the council gave the go-ahead for the development of plans to provide residential care in partnership with the independent sector on the four Age Well sites at Hastings, Westfield, Ringmer and Uckfield and also at Hookstead, Crowborough; Moreton Centre, St Leonards; and Mount Denys, Hastings.

The plans, or a progress report, will be completed by December 2010.

The previous plan to use Private Finance Initiative (PFI) funding with a single long-term contract for the four sites intended to be within Age Well is no longer cost-effective. This is because, under PFI, for the Age Well properties to become operational it needed a 25 year sign up to fund the care services for all 188 beds. In the current economic climate this has now become an unsustainable cost.

Therefore the new approach will be to look at other options for services delivery in relation to individual sites.

The comments already received, and work already undertaken in Age Well will help in the planning for the next stage.

Who can I contact?

Paula Kirkland
Project Director – Adult Social Care
County Hall
Lewes, BN7 1SW

Paula Kirkland – 01273 738738
Email: paula.kirkland@eastsussex.gov.uk