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Housing our Ageing Population: Panel for Innovation
- Authors:
- HOMES AND COMMUNITIES AGENCY, GREAT BRITAIN. Department of Health, GREAT BRITAIN. Department for Communities and Local Government
- Publisher:
- Homes and Communities Agency
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 59p.
- Place of publication:
- London
Following the Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods national strategy report, the Housing our Ageing Population: Panel for Innovation was established in 2009 to examine what further reform is needed to ensure that new build specialised housing meets the needs and aspirations of the older people of the future. This report brings together the findings and recommendations of the panel, which focused on improving the quality of life of the ageing population by influencing the availability and choice of high-quality sustainable homes and neighbourhoods, challenging the perceptions of mainstream and specialised housing for older people, raising the aspirations of older people to demand higher quality more sustainable homes, and spreading awareness of the possibilities offered through innovative design of housing and neighbourhoods. It highlights key design recommendations, offers case studies from London, Bristol, York, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Sweden, proposes further work, links to parallel studies that emphasise the role of place making in enhancing quality of life, and forms the basis of advice to government ministers.
Older people and their social spaces: A study of well-being and attachment to place in Aotearoa New Zealand
- Author:
- WILES Janine L.
- Journal article citation:
- Social Science and Medicine, 68(4), February 2009, pp.664-671.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
A sense of belonging or attachment to place is believed to help maintain a sense of identity and well-being, and to facilitate successful adjustments in old age. Older people in particular have been shown to draw meaning and security from the places in which they live. Qualitative data from multiple conversational interviews held over the period of a year with each of 83 community-dwelling older people in Auckland within the context of a study conducted from 2006 to 2008 are interpreted to explore how older people relate to their social and physical environments, with a specific focus on attachment to place and the meaning of home. The concept of ‘social space’ is proposed, to capture the elastic physical, imaginative, emotional and symbolic experiences of and connections to people and place across time and in scope. Talking with older people themselves gave a rich account of attachment to place, social spaces, and well-being. Participants had strong attachments to their homes and neighbourhoods, extensive participation in ‘beyond spaces’, and shrinking social worlds. They did not, however necessarily view changes as negative; instead there was a delicate negotiation of positive and negative aspects, and complex engagement with ‘social space’ as a profoundly meaningful construct.
Livable environments and the quality of life of older people: an ecological perspective
- Authors:
- STEPHENS Christine, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 59(4), 2019, pp.675-685.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Background and Objectives: The WHO “Framework for Policy for Healthy Ageing’ (2015) focuses on the broader environment and the support it provides for everyday functioning of older people. The concept of “livability” supports this framework by providing a conceptualization of environments that support good quality of life. Research Design and Methods: This observational study used an ecological framework of livability to assess cross-sectional relationships between living environments and perceived quality of life among 4,028 respondents, aged 50–89 years who were surveyed in 2016. A 4-step hierarchical model regressed quality of life on individual resources (health, chronic conditions, SES), contextual variables (distance to health care; rural/urban setting), perceptions of housing and neighborhood environments (housing satisfaction, neighborhood quality, neighborhood social cohesion), and interactions between these levels of the ecological model. Results: As predicted, housing and neighborhood perceptions contributed an additional 5% variance to the model which explained 49% of quality of life. There were significant interactions between the contextual variables and qualities of housing and neighborhood. Discussion and Implications: These findings support the importance of material and social provisions of housing and neighborhoods to quality of life among older people. The ecological model highlights critical information provided by taking different levels of the environment and personal circumstances into account. The concept of “livability,” focusing on perceptions of the environment, can assist a shift from seeking the universal ideal neighborhood toward understanding the ways in which different communities may achieve quality of housing and neighborhood facilities that meet community members’ needs. (Edited publisher abstract)
Older owners: research on the lives, aspirations and housing outcomes of older homeowners in the UK
- Authors:
- LLOYD James, PARRY Will
- Publisher:
- Strategic Society Centre
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 44
- Place of publication:
- London
Using data from the 2011 Census and a nationally representative panel survey, this qualitative research describes the housing wealth, outcomes and lives of older homeowners in the UK. It also looks at older homeowners in relation to key housing policy outcomes. The research covers: the increase of older home ownership; housing characteristics and living situation; income and economic activity; disability, health and caring; issues with the local environment and services; their attitudes to their neighbourhood, and moving plans. Findings suggest that there is a high percentage of under occupancy among older homeowners; between 20% and 40% of older homeowners in the UK may benefit from some form of adapted or specialised housing; and that the majority of owners had strong levels of neighbourhood attachment and planned to remain in their neighbourhood for a number of years. The report also briefly highlights the relevance of the findings to policy makers in relation to housing suitability; housing supply; housing wealth; and intergenerational fairness. An accompanying policy report 'Open Plan: Building a strategic policy toward older owners' considers the implications of the research findings for policy development. (Edited publisher abstract)
Narratives of home and place: findings from the Housing and Independent Living Study
- Authors:
- MACKENZIE Lynette, CURRYER Cassie, BYLES Julie E.
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 35(8), 2015, pp.1684-1712.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
As populations age, increased focus is given to the importance of enabling older people to age in place. The study reported in this paper explored the extent to which older people considered their homes and neighbourhoods to be ‘supportive’, and sought to increase understanding of the needs and experiences of older people and their expectations of future housing needs. This paper reports qualitative data from the Housing and Independent Living (HAIL) study carried out in Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 202 community-dwelling people aged 75-79 years. Interviews were transcribed, coded and analysed using computer-assisted qualitative analysis and a narrative approach to identify broad themes. Thematic analysis was used to examine and understand how occupants subjectively viewed their homes, and how they planned to adapt/modify either their activities or homes to accommodate changing needs. Six key themes emerged, namely housing choice, attachment to place, financial issues, changes to the home over time, transport, and anticipating the future. In this study, people who most strongly identified with and felt connected to their neighbours/communities had more positive perceptions of their homes and communities, and may be better able to remain in their home despite increasing disability or frailty. Housing policies and home and urban design should ensure home and neighbourhood environments are safe, accessible, promote positive associations, and are adaptable to facilitate independence and accommodate change as people age. (Publisher abstract)
What developments in the built environment will support the adaptation and 'future proofing' of homes and local neighbourhoods so that people can age well in place over the life course, stay safe and maintain independent lives?
- Author:
- TORRINGTON Judith
- Publisher:
- Great Britain. Government Office for Science
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 31
- Place of publication:
- London
This evidence review summarises what is known about the design of mainstream, community-based housing and neighbourhoods for older people, and to identify what will support the adaptation and development of homes and neighbourhoods for older people over the next 25 years. It draws on literature from various sources: peer-reviewed research papers, government reports, reports from research organisations and design guidance. The review first considers the current provision of housing and neighbourhoods in the UK and predictions of how these are expected to develop over the next 25 years. Secondly, it summarises what older people need and want from their housing in terms of personal satisfaction and well-being, physical support and accessibility, sensory support, support for dementia, and health and safety. Finally, it summarises existing design guidance. The review finds that older people are disproportionately represented in houses in poor repair. Neighbourhood-based hubs that are actively managed to provide support for older people have been shown to have benefits greater than simply amenity. The report concludes that the key challenge is to bring an understanding of the research and knowledge about older people and their needs to the agencies of the mainstream; the house builders, developers, service engineers, planners, estate agents, local politicians, parish councils and so on who mediate the physical environment. (Edited publisher abstract)
Moving beyond ‘ageing in place’: older people's dislikes about their home and neighbourhood environments as a motive for wishing to move
- Authors:
- HILLCOAT-NALLETAMBY Sarah, OGG Jim
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 34(10), 2014, pp.1771-1796.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This paper takes a critical perspective to the notion of ageing in place by examining older people's dislikes about, rather than levels of satisfaction with their home and neighbourhood environments, and establishing whether such dislikes influence a desire to move. Analysis of the 2004 Living in Wales Survey shows that despite high levels of residential satisfaction, a significant proportion of older people do wish to move. Logistic regression results indicate this desire is strongly associated with dislikes about their immediate home environment, more than neighbourhood factors. Contemplating a move in later life may be shaped more by a desire to ‘attach’ to people, than to remain in situ to preserve an attachment to place. (Edited publisher abstract)
Breaking new ground: the quest for dementia friendly communities: viewpoint
- Author:
- MITCHELL Lynn
- Publisher:
- Housing Learning and Improvement Network
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 21p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This Viewpoint for the Housing LIN examines current policy and practice in relation to delivering housing and neighbourhoods for people with dementia and draws on latest research that considers the role design for dementia can play in achieving the quest for dementia friendly communities. It offers useful checklists on designing dementia friendly communities and, importantly, seeks to provide a catalyst for developing a robust evidence base in housing with care field thereby ensuring that Housing LIN members are fully engaged when planning, designing and delivering housing that older people want and can break new ground locally.
Is aging in place a resource for or risk to life satisfaction?
- Authors:
- OSWALD Frank, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 51(2), April 2011, pp.238-250.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Given age-related health restrictions, the importance of environmental characteristics in the home and the neighbourhood for life satisfaction may increase in later life. This study investigated the impact of objective and perceived physical and social environmental factors on the life satisfaction of young–old (aged 65 to 79 years) and old–old (aged 80 to 94 years) community-dwelling individuals. A population-based sample of 381 community-dwelling individuals aged 65–94 years in the city of Darmstadt, Germany reported on their sociophysical environment and life satisfaction using questionnaires. The results showed that, on average, young–old differ from old–old in indoor physical environmental indicators but not in neighbourhood characteristics or social aspects of housing. Regression analyses revealed that apartment size, perceived neighbourhood quality, and outdoor place attachment explained life satisfaction independently, whereas social housing aspects played only a minor role. Separate analyses for both age groups revealed age differential explanation patterns. Apartment size was positively related to life satisfaction in the young–old but was negatively related in the old–old. For the old–old, perceived neighbourhood quality and outdoor place attachment were more important than for the young–old. Living with others was positively related to life satisfaction only for the young–old.
Exploring aging-in-place among Chinese and Korean seniors in British Columbia, Canada
- Author:
- HWANG Eunju
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing International, 32(3), September 2008, pp.205-218.
- Publisher:
- Springer
- Place of publication:
- New York
British Columbia, Canada, has emerged as a popular settlement area for Chinese and Korean immigrants. This study aimed to examine current characteristics of housing and neighbourhoods and utilization of local amenities of Chinese and Korean seniors in BC in exploring the possibility of aging-in-place in their home and community. The data were collected using face-to-face interviews for 99 participants (50 for Chinese and 49 for Koreans). To compare group differences between Chinese and Koreans, chi-square and t tests were conducted. Results indicated that Chinese and Korean seniors stayed at current housing about 10 years and did not plan to move out in the next 3 years. However, Chinese seniors were more likely to live with their adult children and church was an important resource for Korean seniors. Local amenities created more resources and social support for both Chinese and Korean seniors, but Chinese seniors tended to actually use various local amenities more than Korean seniors. To Korean seniors, ethnic Korean church was an important source of community links. The role of housing should be discussed from a bigger context to enable the participants to remain in their familiar environment.