OLDER people living in sheltered housing are to receive extra support thanks to an extension of county council care services.

Extra help is being offered to people in Richmondshire as part of a county-wide effort to ensure older people can live in their own homes for as long as they want to, rather than moving into residential or nursing care.

The scheme is run as a partnership between North Yorkshire County Council Social Services and Richmondshire District Council.

It means that residents can be supported in their homes if they are ill, or, alternatively, leave hospital earlier with extended support provided during the first few days of their return.

Similar schemes have been running successfully in Reeth and Bainbridge since 1992, and more recently in Richmond and Leyburn.

By the end of the year, it is expected that the service will be extended to all district council-run sheltered housing in Richmondshire.

County Councillor Murray Naylor, executive member for social services, said: "This scheme provides much-needed additional support to older people in a very rural area of the county.

"It is an excellent solution to the difficult problem of ensuring people in our more rural communities can get additional care when they need it and is another example of everyone working in partnership to provide the best possible care for our older people."