A new report published by the Older People’s Housing taskforce, on behalf of the housing ministry and the Department of Health and Social Care, sets out how people can be supported to live well and longer in age-friendly, culture sensitive and inclusive homes and neighbourhoods of their choice.
As chair of the taskforce professor Julienne Meyer explains in her foreword to the report, the majority of senior citizens want to continue living in their own homes for as long as they can, worrying about moving into care home facilities too soon… which is why it’s essential that the range of options available to them is widened.
This will ensure that people are able to continue living independently while feeling safe in a space that allows them to enjoy life, as well as feeling culturally and socially connected, and appreciated for their contributions.
Ms Meyer continued, saying: “By enhancing the quality and quantity of Older People’s Housing/Later Living Housing and offering more choice, not only can we improve the lives of senior citizens, but we can also save money for the NHS by avoiding unnecessary hospital admission from slips, trips and falls.
“Rightsizing to more age-appropriate housing can also release family homes to help ease the wider housing crisis.
“It’s also important to think carefully about how we can support those who want to remain in their own homes to do so safely. Focusing on housing alone is not enough – we also need to think about workforce pressures and therefore how to create a sense of community so that we can all look out more for one another.”
Top priorities
When asked about top priorities for housing arrangements, independence was cited the most often, but the report identified that there is no one ‘best’ model for providing this as we get older.
Housing options include homes that have been purposefully designed and built for later living, mainstream homes that have been adapted to be age friendly and community-led models such as communal living and co-housing.
However, these housing options will need to be expanded as the population ages, both in terms of variety and volume, so that senior citizens are offered greater choice to cover their evolving lifestyle and health needs in later life.
Ms Meyer concluded that society is obligated to ensure that “suitable, accessible and affordable housing” is provided for later living, but this is something that the current housing market falls down on significantly.
After 12 months of extensive work and research, the taskforce found that around 30-50.000 new later living homes per year would be needed to meet the needs of an ageing population, yet just 7,000 properties per annum are built.
Furthermore, more than nine out of ten people over the age of 65 currently live in mainstream housing, yet just 12 per cent of older people have level access at the entrance of their building and less than 50 per cent have a bathroom on the entry level of their home.
Knowing the options available to you are essential for continuing to live independently as you get older. If you’d like to find out more about live in care in Islington and the surrounding areas, get in touch with the Concept Care team today.
