The charity Help The Aged may be able to provide you with general advice about these plans. However they are unable to give specific advice about one provider over another as this counts as financial advice, which is regulated by the FSA. Neither will they be able to recommend if it is a good idea in your situation.
There are 4 major types of scheme:
Home Income Plans
Shared Appreciation Mortgages
Lifetime Mortgages
Home Reversion schemes
With the first three, you borrow money secured against the value of your home and this gets paid back eventually (in different manners according to the scheme) when the home is sold.
With Home Reversion schemes, you essentially sell your home to the schemer provider in exchange for cash and become a tenant in your own home. This scheme is what factor is reffering to, though you need proper financial advice before embarking on any of them.