Finger on the PULSE

4.51.40pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 21st Apr 2008

• BUILDING is set to begin on a new-style facility for older people, with independent accommodation and an onsite care team, as part of Richmond Council's Extra Care Programme.

It will be the first of its kind in the borough. The site, in Dean Road, Hampton, will comprise 41 flats, 34 of which will be for rent with the remainder available for low-cost ownership. There will also be a café and a shop. The development will also act as a centre for a new initiative called PULSE which aims to encourage older people to actively contribute to their own health and well-being. The PULSE centre will provide advice and information, health assessments, as well as wellbeing services such as reflexology and massage treatments and facilities to cater for a range of fitness classes. The development, funded by Richmond Council in partnership with Richmond Housing Partnership and boosted by a £3.5m grant from the Department of Health, is part of the Council's Extra Care Programme which provides support to older people who live independently.

Cllr Denise Carr, Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Health and Housing on Richmond Council, said: "This is a superb development, the first of its kind in the borough. The purpose-built facilities, as well as the onsite staff, mark it as an innovative scheme that will provide huge benefits for older people who wish to live independently."