Retirement Housing Group welcomes findings of new reports to promote better care of the country’s elderly population
Welcoming the findings of two major reports published this week into the needs and aspirations of Britain’s ageing population, Peter F Askew, Chairman of the Retirement Housing Group of the Home Builders Federation, says:
“These reports illustrate how important it is to make proper provision for the country’s ageing population. Appropriate and specialised housing is a crucial element in that equation; it improves the quality of life of older people and enhances and sustains their physical and mental well-being. We are calling for better co-ordination of services, not only between the providers of social service and health services, but also between housing departments and planners, to deliver what is needed if we are not to fail pensioners”.
A report by three independent watchdogs published on Monday 27 March concludes that service providers should develop joint strategies to promote the wellbeing and health of older people, recognising their diverse needs (1). The Wanless Report published today says that by 2026, the number of people in England over the age of 85 will have risen by two-thirds and that up to 450,000 more people will need a care home place or social care services if they are to stay at home. The report says, “We need to ensure all older people are able to remain as healthy and independent as possible" (2).
Evidence shows that increasing the provision of supported housing of all tenures for older people, located close to essential facilities, has a key role to play in helping to maintain independence, delivering a better quality of life and reducing the burden on the public purse. As Age Concern says, “for many older people, sheltered housing support services can be instrumental in preventing the need for more costly care services and in preserving their desire to live independently.” (3)
Physical adaptations of existing homes are not always enough: the Economic and Social Research Council says that companionship is a critical element. It states, “reduced social contact, being alone, isolation and feelings of loneliness and consistently associated with reduced quality in older people’s lives” (4)
Planners and housing providers need to work with health and social services to identify and supply enough specialist accommodation, across all tenures, to meet the needs of those older people whose physical, mental and social well-being would be enhanced by life in a secure and supportive environment with the companionship of others and close to key facilities. The Survey of English Households confirms that it is mainly households over pensionable age which finds access to everyday services to be most difficult.
Sustainable Homes for an Ageing Population , a leaflet issued by the Retirement Housing Group, sets out more information on the demographics of an ageing population and the benefits of supported, specialist housing for those of retirement age and over.
Notes for Editors
The Retirement Housing Group of the Home Builders Federation consists of retirement housing developers and housing managers, both RSL and private sector. Its ex officio members include representatives of the charity, the Elderly Accommodation Counsel, and the Association of Retirement Housing Managers. The Advice and Mediation Service (AIMS) of Age Concern is also represented. Its members are therefore involved in the building, management and provision of advice on housing for those of retirement age and over: http://www.hbf.co.uk/index.php?id=1600
Footnotes
1) Living Well in Later Life, by the Healthcare Commission, the Audit Commission and the Commission for Social Care Inspection
2) Wanless, Securing Good Care for Older People, The King's Fund
3) Age Concern, Policy Paper No.0701
4) “Loneliness, Social Isolation and Living Alone in Later Life”, Economic and Social Research Council
For further information, please contact:
Vivien Aldred
Tel: 01603 507855