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Older people are being evicted from sheltered housing because their needs are inadequately assessed, a consortium of sheltered housing schemes has warned.

Some older people are ending up in council emergency accommodation, including B&Bs, after being evicted from sheltered housing for antisocial behaviour, the Emerging Role of Sheltered Housing (Erosh) told the National Sheltered Housing Conference in Harrogate last week.

Only when in emergency accommodation will social services assess their needs and identify behaviour problems, for example mental health issues, and place them in psychiatric hospitals or long-term residential care, said Erosh.

The concerns follow research that examined the cases of 20 older people evicted in one month from four London sheltered housing schemes. Seven were evicted for antisocial behaviour, including abusive or violent behaviour, terrorising neighbours and playing their music and televisions too loud. Others were evicted for non payment. Some were reported as throwing their wheelchairs about and wandering naked around their housing schemes.

Erosh deputy chair Meic Phillips said wardens should alert social services of behavioural problems before evicting.

The consortium is calling for local protocols to be put in place detailing which information can be shared between health, social services and the police.

"Social services and the police often say landlords do not need to know, but if a person has a history of violence or a drug and alcohol problem the landlord needs to see whether he can manage that person," said Phillips.

The National Wardens Association said behaviour problems in sheltered housing was a "growing problem" and access to medical history in certain cases was vital.

An Age Concern spokesperson said: "The chronic under-funding of all areas of social care for older people means many do not get the right support to meet their needs. Older people should be able to get the services they need, when they need them."