ELDERLY people living in Redcar and Cleveland will be able to stay in their homes for longer, rather than moving into residential or nursing care.

Care services in the borough are already focusing on helping older people to remain independent for longer and a move to rely on independent care homes to provide long-term and non-specialist care is under way.

Almost all long-term residential care service provided by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is being phased out, except for those concerning elderly people with mental health needs, mainly dementia.

The changes are part of a national effort which aims to ensure older people can receive better quality care in their homes.

Social services director Maurice Bates, from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, said: "What we want is to have a better range of services for people and increase the range of services and keep people where they want to be - at home.

"We want to make sure we do it in agreement with the NHS and integrate our facilities within those of the NHS where possible.

"We know over the next 20 years that there are going to be more elderly people wanting care and we have to start preparing for that."

Changes to the care system included:

* Lodge Farm House, in Eston, was closed on June 11. Ten of the residents were moved into independent sector care homes, seven to dementia care units in other homes owned by the local authority, one Chinese resident was moved to live in supported housing with Chinese elders in Newcastle and another resident moved to live with his family.

* The home at Allendale, Ormesby, has been renamed The Meadows and is being reconfigured to provide specialist care for older people with dementia, a greater level of respite care and the continuation of the day care service to support older people and their families in maintaining independent living situations. The 21 male residents are being reassessed and the facility is now for men and women with mental health problems.

* Wheatacres, at Redcar, which has been identified as the site for the replacement of the Stead Hospital, would be closed as a care home under the proposals and replaced by an Integrated Health and Social Care Facility which would provide services for elderly people.

* Kiltondale, at Brotton, will maintain its provision of a dementia care unit and will continue to provide a day service, extended to provide care over seven days a week.

* Luke Senior House, at Guisborough, will be the only residential care home in Guisborough and, as such, will provide some non-specialist long-term residential care beds. Work has also been completed to register a dementia care unit providing ten places. There will also be a new day care facility for residents of Luke Senior and older people in Guisborough who would require a service on an evening and weekend.