Invisible Creations were delighted to have been part of E.ON’s Homes for Living programme, which was designed to help people live independently in their homes for longer, with a variety of home solutions, such as our grab rails, stair support and other mobility support products.
E.ON’s ‘Homes for Living’ programme has installed 5,000 home solutions in 2,500 homes, helping thousands of older people live independently for longer and increase their quality of life.
The programme has helped improve residents’ mental health with 50% reporting a reduction in feelings of loneliness.
14% of those who were previously completely dependent on others are now living independently at home.
“We’re incredibly proud to have been involved in the Homes for Living project and we’ve witnessed first-hand the huge difference the programme has made to people’s lives. With simple interventions designed to improve quality of life, the programme has made people’s homes more accessible, and provided safer and healthier environments for people to live well and happier for longer.
Our dual-purpose grab rails, and stylish home adaptations, not only make homes safer by providing support to prevent falls and prolong independence, but they also made people feel like they had more choice and control, and could retain their personality and style within their homes. We were blown away to see that by providing these simple but effective interventions the programme saw a decrease of 92% in people who could not previously use the toilet independently. - Said Laura Wood, Director of Invisible Creations
Chris Lovatt, Chief Operating Officer of Energy Infrastructure Solutions at E.ON, said: “It’s a commonly known fact that we have an ageing population in the UK, so it’s absolutely crucial we look after our older generations to ensure they remain safe, comfortable and independent at home for as long as possible.
It’s fantastic to see the real-life impact of our ‘Homes for Living’ programme and to hear the positive feedback from some of the people who have benefitted from the help we’ve provided. At E.ON, we’re committed to making new energy work and this innovative project is just one example of how we’re working to help improve our customers’ lives.”
Homes for Living participant, Francis from Leicestershire, has lived in the same house for 40 years and her home is very special to her. She did not want to leave, and was delighted to receive support to help her remain in this special place: “I was very keen to have the grab rails in the bathroom. I felt quite insecure with my balance.”
More about the programme
The ‘Homes for Living’ programme was match-funded with the Government’s UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Healthy Ageing programme, which is aimed at developing ways of helping everyone to remain active, independent, and socially connected across generations for as long as possible, and to narrow the gap between the experiences of the richest and poorest.
E.ON’s programme successfully identified and developed an area of activity that delivers on the UKRI programme’s key outcomes; and if scaled further across England by 2025, there could be a cost saving of £1.7 billion on social care alone.
Working with Newcastle University, E.ON undertook research into the impact of the ‘Homes for Living’ programme throughout the three years and found that of those who were completely dependent on others before, 14% are now completely independent. The quality of home life for those that benefitted also improved, with 50% reporting a reduction in feelings of loneliness and a decrease of 92% in people who could not use the toilet independently.
These studies were conducted periodically throughout the three-year programme, allowing E.ON to gather key insight and feedback and better improve aspects of the programme, such as introducing shower safety equipment, offering Fitbits to encourage physical activity and Amazon Echos to help people connect with loved ones, and providing E.ON colleagues with mental health training to better support customers.
For more information on E.ON’s ‘Homes for Living’ programme, including more customer case studies, please visit eonenergy.com/homes-for-living
To find out more about E.ON Next and the support available, visit eonnext.com