Houses need to be adapted for older people

The suggested answer is to boost the supply of specialist retirement housing that older people would move into, freeing up the homes they currently under-occupy. It’s an interesting theory, but is it as simple as that?

“Some thought has to be given to supporting the majority of older people who are happy to stay living in their current home.”

Are older people stuck? According to the English Housing Survey, 97% of older people who are deemed to be under-occupiers are actually satisfied with their existing home. Still, around 50,000 older people do move home every year, with only 15% doing so because they want a smaller home – compared with the 27% who move for family or personal reasons.

I have previously commissioned extra care and retirement housing, and it is undoubtedly popular, but current annual build rates of around 8,000 units are nowhere near the projected growth in older households of 155,000 per year. Even doubling the current investment in new build specialist housing would only meet around 10% of demand. So, some thought has to be given to supporting the majority of older people who are happy to stay living in their current home.

“Twenty-nine per cent of households where the oldest person is over 85 are non-decent.”

Most older households are owner-occupiers, and most of those own their home outright. However, 29% of households where the oldest person is over 85 are non-decent and more likely to have poor energy efficiency. The detrimental impact these conditions can have on health are well understood but often no action is taken until a point of crisis. This can lead to ‘forced’ moves, which are made because the person can no longer cope and which tend not to have positive outcomes.

This suggests that although many older people want to stay put and age in place, they have by and large been reluctant to make the repairs, improvements and adaptations that will allow it to happen. Budget is one concern holding them back, as is a hesitance to be proactive about meeting their own future needs. They need a nudge.

Taking a behaviour change model suggests that some people will be totally unaware of the need to prepare their living environment for older age, but there is a large cohort where positive ageing-in-place messages and public health campaigns should move hope to action.

For this group it will be essential that advice, information and support are available as they start to explore their options – which could also include a move to more specialist housing.

This is where home improvement agencies (HIAs), most of which are based in housing associations and local authorities, have the proven capacity and expertise to support people through complex administrative and stressful processes such as major building works or moving house.

A recent evaluation by Elderly Accommodation Council First Stop of personalised housing options casework provided by HIAs offers evidence of the benefits to recipients of the support and the wider public sector. It shows that the right support can counter inertia and lead to positive action, and that HIAs can be key in supporting people to move, as well as to stay put. In either case, using existing equity could help with budgetary concerns, but that won’t apply in every case.

Funding for disabled facilities grant (DFG) has increased significantly over the past couple of years and helps thousands of people every year. However, with 28% of the housing stock not considered feasible to adapt, it is surprising that very few local authorities support people to move instead. Since 2008, councils have had significant discretion about how they use DFG funds, and the government is keen for them to use it.

Other examples of discretion include repairing serious hazards, fast track adaptations for hospital discharge and ‘retrofitting’ for people with a diagnosis of dementia. That’s why Foundations, the national body for HIAs, has been tasked by the Department for Communities and Local Government with improving the impact of the DFG budget and has just completed a set of regional roadshows across England to promote good practice.

Feedback suggests that many areas are now starting to develop more sophisticated approaches to the housing needs of people as they age and the associated benefits to the local health and social care economy.

Paul Smith, director, Foundations – the national body for home improvement agencies