A huge shortfall in the number of extra care housing will be faced by communities across south Cumbria as local authorities struggle to meet demand by 2025.

As the number of elderly people requiring more complex care at home increases, more is being asked of councils in Barrow, Copeland and South Lakeland to help meet those challenges.

Plans are in motion to build more specially adapted housing for older residents, moving away from the traditional route of large-scale residential care.

However, in spite of action being taken to increase the number of care home units in South Cumbria, councils are set to fall short by more than 1,000 units in the next seven years.

Cumbria county councillor and Urswick resident, James Airey, said it was positive that steps were being taken to address increased need, but more needed to be done.

He said: "Any increase in extra care housing, that is the future of care. It gives people their dignity, they have a front door key.

"Having the dignity of their own home - that is the way forward.

"I work across parties and I applaud SLDC for trying to push forward the issue. But we need more. We're good at affordable housing but we don't look at housing for the elderly."

In South Lakeland the district council has made moves to address the shortfall for extra care - 500 homes. In December its cabinet approved the plan to deliver an extra 300 care homes for rent by 2025 for the Grange and Cartmel area.

In Copeland the anticipated demand for extra care housing stands at 250. With only 61 either in use or under development the shortfall by 2025 will be 289. The council said strategies were in place to meet rising demand alongside the county council.

A spokesman for the borough council said: "It is the role of the county council to build, commission and deliver care facilities in Copeland. As part of the district council role, we assess how much of each type of housing is needed and allocate land in our Local Plan accordingly.

"In doing so we work with a number of partners including housing and care providers. We are also currently working on a housing strategy for the next five years, which will include extra-care housing."

In Barrow a shortfall of 299 housing units has been forecast by 2025. However, Cllr Anne Burns, who sits on the county's health and wellbeing board, said residents would soon see the results of councils adapting to the realities of care in 2018.

She said: "It is forward planning and planning for the future. Talking to families about about their needs are and planning something very different to residential accommodation."

See the breakdown for extra care housing by borough here:

Allerdale

Projected demand by 2025:

540

Current supply (2015):

111

Shortfall by 2025:

429

Barrow

Projected demand by 2025:

340

Current supply (2015):

41

Shortfall by 2025:

299

Carlisle

Projected demand by 2025:

550

Current supply (2015):

161

Shortfall by 2025:

389

Copeland

Projected demand by 2025:

350

Current supply (2015):

61

Shortfall by 2025:

289

Eden

Projected demand by 2025:

320

Current supply (2015):

125

Shortfall by 2025:

195

South Lakeland

Projected demand by 2025:

700

Current supply (2015):

200

Shortfall by 2025:

500