Housing for Older People: Why Care?
The UK has an ageing population. By 2029 there will be 2.1 million more people aged over 65 in England and Wales alone. This is a well-established demographic projection and the reality of such a significant shift has far reaching implications.
The government’s ambitions are to deliver approximately 3 million new homes between 2019 and 2029. But how many of those homes will be purpose built for older people, and importantly include the capacity to deliver care allowing residents to live independent lives and age in place? According to recent trends in the delivery of purpose-built housing-with-care, we should just about break the 35,000 new homes barrier by 2029. There is therefore a glaring disparity in what needs to be delivered and what is likely to materialise.
Of course, many people approaching later life will continue to live in their own homes, and others will make a home in the various other housing models available to them including social and affordable housing, private rented accommodation, build-to-rent, co-housing, co-living, and some will require the greater levels of care provided by care homes and specialist facilities. It shouldn’t therefore be expected that the entire population of older people will need to be accommodated in purpose-built housing-with-care. This is why our latest report establishes the principle of housing a similar proportion of our population in housing-with-care as countries with comparable housing markets such as the US, New Zealand, and Australia. These countries house approximately 6% of their older populations in housing-with-care. The UK currently houses less than 1%.
The scene is set, but why is it important to grow the housing-with-care market and in particular what distinguishes it from the existing mix of housing options? This was one of the key questions discussed by our panel of experts at the launch of our report.
Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, purpose-built housing-with-care allows residents to live independent, healthy, and active lives in an environment centred on community. This has positive implications for not only physical health, but also mental wellbeing by minimising social isolation and providing formal and informal support and services. Our report provides more detail on the definitions of care, support, and services, which whilst being distinct propositions, are likely to figure in some form within housing-with-care developments.
Secondly, the provision of purpose-built homes that utilise structures of care, support, and communal services deliver a number of wider societal benefits. Separate research has identified that residents in housing-with-care spend on average less time in hospital after an admission, meaning that they can return to their home quicker whilst freeing up capacity in the NHS. Providing care and support in an environment that also allows residents to live independently has implications for public healthcare and social care expenditure with some estimates suggesting poor housing among older people costs the NHS over £600 million per year. Far from merely shifting the delivery of care from a hospital setting to a home setting, living in a housing-with-care community can actively reduce the occurrence of physical and mental health problems as residents are supported to remain independent and active.
The recommendations of our report have been informed by an understanding of the benefits that purpose-built housing for older people provide for the population, and by an analysis of the existing barriers that have resulted in under provision. These include but are not limited to a lack of clear planning classification, underrepresentation of housing-with-care and housing-with-support models in local plan policies, and an unclear, ununified identity/offering within the sector. There is significant work to be done therefore by industry practitioners and a leadership role for government to play. To coordinate our efforts, we recommend:
- The UK government establish a housing for older people task force to assess and overcome existing barriers
- The UK government develop and publish a national strategy for housing for older people
- Priority is given to projects that exhibit a commitment to achieving the UK’s zero carbon ambition
