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Older people's perspectives on living in integrated housing and care settings: the case of extra care housing
- Authors:
- CAMERON Ailsa, JOHNSON Eleanor K., EVANS Simon
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Integrated Care, 28(3), 2020, pp.281-290.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: This paper explores residents’ perceptions and experiences of extra care housing as an integrated model of housing with care. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected in a longitudinal qualitative study based on four extra care housing schemes. Data from interviews with residents, care workers, managers and local commissioners were analysed thematically. Findings: The integration of housing with care enabled many older people to manage their care proactively. However, the increasing number of residents with complex health and care needs, including chronic illness, led some residents to question the ability of the model to support residents to live independently. Research limitations/implications: The study struggled to recruit sufficient residents from the specialist dementia setting who were able to communicate their consent to take part in the research. In addition, the quality of qualitative data collected in interviews with participants at this setting reduced over successive rounds of interviews. Practical implications: The study suggests the need to ensure that residents are fully informed about levels of care and support is available when considering a move into extra care housing. Originality/value: This paper provides a timely opportunity to consider extra care housing as an example of an integrated housing service, particularly in light of the current challenges facing the sector. (Edited publisher abstract)
A community hub approach to older people’s housing
- Authors:
- EVANS Simon, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, 18(1), 2017, pp.20-31.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of housing with care schemes to act as community hubs. The analysis highlights a range of benefits, barriers and facilitators. Design/methodology/approach: Data are presented from the Adult Social Services Environments and Settings project which used a mixed methods approach including a review of the literature, surveys and in-depth case study interviews. Findings: Most housing with care schemes have a restaurant or café, communal lounge, garden, hairdresser, activity room and laundrette, while many also have a library, gym, computer access and a shop. Many of these facilities are open not just to residents but also to the wider community, reflecting a more integrated approach to community health and adult social care, by sharing access to primary health care and social services between people living in the scheme and those living nearby. Potential benefits of this approach include the integration of older people’s housing, reduced isolation and increased cost effectiveness of local services through economies of scale and by maximising preventative approaches to health and wellbeing. Successful implementation of the model depends on a range of criteria including being located within or close to a residential area and having on-site facilities that are accessible to the public. Originality/value: This paper is part of a very new literature on community hub models of housing with care in the UK. In the light of new requirements under the Care Act to better coordinate community services, it provides insights into how this approach can work and offers an analysis of the benefits and challenges that will be of interest to commissioners and providers as well as planners. This was a small scale research project based on four case studies. Caution should be taken when considering the findings in different settings. (Publisher abstract)
Making care homes part of the community? An evaluation of the Gloucestershire Partnerships for Older People Project
- Authors:
- EVANS Simon, MEANS Robin, POWELL Jane
- Journal article citation:
- Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, 14(1), 2013, pp.66-74.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The 'Care Homes, part of our community' initiative in Gloucestershire was one of 29 Partnerships for Older People Projects (POPPs) funded by the Department of Health between 2006 and 2009 with an emphasis on prevention and improved outcomes for older people. This paper provides an overview of the policy context and the project, which aimed to improve the integration of care homes with health and social care services and the wider community. It describes the local evaluation of the project, which adopted a mixed methods approach combining quantitative performance data with semi-structured stakeholder interviews and emergency bed use costings. It presents the findings in 3 specific areas: integrating care homes with the health community, improving links with the local public community, and the economic evaluation of its contribution to reducing overnight stays in hospital. It reports that the evaluation results suggest that the project made significant steps towards integrating care homes with the health and social care community, that training and support was provided to a large number of care homes and new integrated working practices were developed, and that cost savings were demonstrated through reduced hospital bed use.
Communities of place and communities of interest? An exploration of their changing role in later life
- Authors:
- MEANS Robin, EVANS Simon
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 32(8), November 2012, pp.1300-1318.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
In this theoretical paper the authors discuss the concept and definition of community, and in particular the meaning of community to older people. The paper examines past emphasis on the importance of communities of place for older people and emerging evidence for the growing engagement of older people in communities of interest linked to friendships, enthusiasms and their increasing spending power. It considers the importance of social interaction in the lives of many older people and government policy promoting social participation, civic engagement and active ageing. It also looks at the influence of the internet and the development of virtual communities of interest among older people. The paper argues for a reconceptualisation of community and a more sophisticated view of place and interest which acknowledges the impact of social, economic and cultural change on the lives of older people.
Evaluating services in partnership with older people: exploring the role of ‘community researchers’
- Authors:
- EVANS Simon, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Working with Older People, 15(1), March 2011, pp.26-33.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This article explores the role of older community researcher, and the experiences of those involved. It is a collaboration between an academic researcher and four older people who worked together on the evaluation of a pilot project in Gloucestershire, with the aim of making care homes part of the community. The article first presents an outline of policy and practice developments in relation to public engagement in research. Then, a description is provided of a research project that included recruiting and training older community researchers to carry out an evaluation of the Partnerships for Older People Project in Gloucestershire. The next section focuses on the experiences of the older people who carried out this role, including some of the benefits and challenges that were encountered. The article concludes with an examination of the implications for delivering meaningful public engagement in service development and evaluation, from the perspective of older people.
'That lot up there and us down here': social interaction and a sense of community in a mixed tenure UK retirement village
- Author:
- EVANS Simon
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 29(2), February 2009, pp.199-216.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Research findings on retirement villages to date have indicated high levels of satisfaction among residents, but commentators have criticised this form of provision on the grounds that they are only an option for the better off. This paper reports a study of a retirement village that has attempted to address this issue by integrating residents from a range of socio-economic backgrounds and by making various tenures available in the same development. The paper begins with a brief history of retirement villages in the UK and an overview of the concept of community, including those of communities of place and interest and their role in social policy. The presented findings highlight a number of factors that impact on a resident's sense of community, including social interaction, the development of friendships, the built environment and the existence of common interests. The discussion focuses on the development of cross-tenure social networks and how residents' health and social status shapes community experience. It is concluded that the clustering model of mixed tenure is likely to emphasise differences in the socio-economic backgrounds of residents and that the success of retirement villages as communities depends on grasping the subtleties of the diversity of later life.
Never a dull moment? Promoting social well-being in extra care housing
- Authors:
- EVANS Simon, VALLELLY Sarah
- Journal article citation:
- Housing Care and Support, 10(4), December 2007, pp.14-20.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Extra care housing is an increasingly popular form of housing care for older people, largely because of its potential for maximising independence by providing flexible care and support. However, far less attention has been paid to another important aspect of quality of life, social well-being. This article reports on a research project that explored good practice in promoting social well-being in extra care housing. The authors identify several key factors in supporting the social lives of residents and present recommendations for good practice.
Researching older people with dementia in supported housing
- Author:
- EVANS Simon
- Journal article citation:
- Generations Review, 15(4), October 2005, pp.3-7.
- Publisher:
- British Society of Gerontology
This article explores the benefits of directly including the voices of people with dementia in research and identifies a range of strategies for overcoming the methodological challenges of a more inclusive approach. Examples from a study that aimed to explore the characteristics and suitability of extra care housing from a user perspective illustrate ethical dilemmas and practice challenges, including the role of gatekeeper, gaining informed consent and meeting the specific needs of people with dementia as research participants.
Evaluation of Active Minds activity kits in care home
- Author:
- EVANS Simon
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Dementia Care, 27(2), 2019, pp.22-25.
- Publisher:
- Hawker
This article reports on an independent evaluation, carried out during 2017-18 by researchers at the Association for Dementia Studies, University of Worcester, of the use of Active Minds activity kits in care homes. Method: five care homes that regularly used the Active Minds activity kits were recruited to the study. Observations were carried out for 16 residents using the Scripps Modified Greater Cincinnati Chapter Well-Being (GCCWB) tool, and research interviews were also carried out with 12 staff. Findings: The wellbeing frequency scores were higher for Active Minds sessions in all cases except for "pleasure", where other activities scored slightly higher. The findings were less clear for ill-being scores. There were noticeable differences in how the Active Minds activity kits were used across the case study care homes. Interviewees reported a wide range of benefits that they felt arose from use of the Active Minds activity kits. Some of the challenges using the kits are also discussed. Conclusion: the results of the study add to previous evidence for the potential of activities to improve engagement and wellbeing among care home residents. (Edited publisher abstract)