DUNDEE ENJOYS by far the best provision of sheltered housing in Scotland, new figures have shown.

The city has 150 sheltered homes for every 1000 people aged 65 and over, far greater than the national average of only 43 per 1000.

Across Scotland, councils manage 45% of the homes with a similar proportion run by housing associations. Another 10% are in the private sector.

In Dundee, council-owned properties feature a warden service, emergency community alarm system, communal lounge and adaptations including lowered light switches and raised electrical sockets.

The city is also among the leaders in providing what are known as very sheltered or extra care homes, with 7.6 properties per 1000 pensioners, putting it in third place out of 32 local authorities.

Such homes, when council-run, are in purpose-built sheltered housing complexes with controlled entry and have specially equipped bathrooms to allow assisted bathing.

Among other councils, Angus and Fife both feature in the top 10 when it comes to ordinary sheltered housing while Perth and Kinross is a little better than the national average.

The position is reversed for very sheltered homes, with Perth and Kinross earning a top 10 place and Angus and Fife both a little worse than average.

Noting the wide variations across the country, the Scottish Government report said, “There does not appear to be any particularly obvious explanation for these differences.”