After years living on her own, 90-year-old Hannah Smith is thriving in her new home at Penfold Court, Notting Hill Housing Association’s state-of-the-art extra care scheme in Westminster.

“My health and well-being have both improved significantly since I moved in here,” says Hannah. “I get help and support when I need it. Notting Hill provided me with a great opportunity – and a lovely flat.”

The scheme, with 43 self-contained flats and two four-bed ‘clusters’ for people with dementia, combines ‘assertive technology’ with 24-hour care and support. It’s also probably the first example of a six-storey timber frame design for special needs housing, and in 2005 it received a new homes award from the Evening Standard newspaper.

The technology includes sensors tailored to individual residents – to detect night-time falls, wandering, or even if a tap is left running. There’s no substitute for the personal touch though, and residents receive at least 17 hours of one-to-one care every week.

And at lunchtimes, Hannah can go to the scheme’s restaurant to eat and socialise. “I ate lunch alone for 26 years,” she says. “Now I get to enjoy other people’s company.”