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Thousands of older people in the south east could be spared traumatic hospital stays and costly long term care if they were given more help to live independently in their own homes, according to a new report.

The National Housing Federation’s “In your lifetime” report warned that older people often struggled to access the support they needed to continue to live at home - increasing the risk that they will end up in hospital or a care home in the long run.

In the south east, over 491,000 (491,197) people aged over 65 need help with at least one routine task, and this number is continuing to rise rapidly.

By investing in preventative measures rather than caring for older people only when they become ill or immobile has saved the taxpayer £1.8bn a year. Worryingly specified funding on preventative services for older people has fallen over the last three years rather than increased – despite the savings to the public purse.

In the south east, the number of people aged 65 and over is expected to increase to 2,228,300 over the next 20 years, with the number of over 85s doubling during the same period. Despite the rapidly ageing demographic and the huge need for specialised housing and support for older people, the report found that the options available remain limited.

Housing associations provide homes for almost one million older people, and are ideally placed to deliver tailored care and support services for older people in their local community. However, the National Housing Federation, which represents England’s housing associations, said its members face a series of barriers which limit the number and range of services, as well as housing, that they can offer older people.

The Federation’s “In your lifetime” report argues that investment should be focused on preventing hospital admissions and reducing the number of older people who need to be cared for in nursing homes. However it warns that the system currently fails to balance preventative measures with acute services, meaning that all too frequently older people only receive support when they end up in hospital, and people who need to be care for in a nursing home are likely to remain there once admitted.

The average annual fee for a single room in a nursing home is £35,100 and, in the south east, the number of people in residential care is expected to rise to nearly 105,383 by 2025. Equally, the number of emergency re-admissions for people aged 75 in English hospitals also rose by 69% between 1999 and 2007, with an estimated 30,945 older people admitted to hospital in the south east every year.

Employing preventative measures, such as adaptations to older people's homes to make them easier to use, regular visits from a support worker, or personal alarm systems which allow users to raise the alarm when they need help are just some of the simple measures which can help significantly reduce these costs. This kind of support also helps boost the health, quality of life and well being of older people.

The National Housing Federation found that the level and range of support currently available for older people varies wildly across the country, and needs to become more uniformly available. It calls for uniformity, enabling all older people to access support in their local area, wherever they live. The Federation also calls on local councils to set out how the housing needs of older people will be met in their local housing strategies.

The report follows the south east region’s highly successful South East Supported Housing Month, which saw south east service providers join forces to raise the profile of the work they do throughout the region to enable people with a broad range of support needs enjoy independent and fulfilled lives. South East Supported Housing Month ran between 16 November and 11 December and saw over 100 events take place throughout the region to showcase these important services and the positive impact they are having – not only on the lives of individuals, but also through saving a small fortune for other public services.

Research from Communities and Local Government shows that every pound spent on ‘Supporting People’ saves £2.12 on other public services, and in the south east region alone there are more than 2,700 of these services supporting over 136,000 people. More than £189m was spent on housing support services in 2008/09.

Warren Finney, south east regional manager for the National Housing Federation said: "Helping older people live safely at home for longer is clearly the most efficient approach. Not only can it improve their own sense of independence and well being but also it can reduce the number of hospital admissions and care home places needed. Through investing in preventative services we’d not only be able to give older people what they want, but would also reduce the burden on the NHS and save billions of pounds in public spending.

This report highlights concerns that older people only get to access care and support services once it’s almost too late – once they reach crisis point and end up in hospital or in a care home. There is already lots of good work being done in the south east to address this issue as evidenced in our recent South East Supported Housing Month and, given the findings of this report and the current economic climate, it’s more important than ever that these crucial services are able to continue to deliver here."