Five linked reports examined issues related to housing and care for older people.
Source: Karen Croucher and Mark Bevan, Promoting Supportive Relationships in Housing with Care, Joseph Rowntree Foundation | Jenny Pannell and Imogen Blood, Supported Housing for Older People in the UK: An evidence review, Joseph Rowntree Foundation | Imogen Blood, Jenny Pannell, and Ian Copeman, Findings from Housing with Care Research: Practice examples, Joseph Rowntree Foundation | Jenny Pannell, Imogen Blood, and Ian Copeman, Affordability, Choices, and Quality of Life in Housing with Care, Joseph Rowntree Foundation | Imogen Blood, Jenny Pannell, and Ian Copeman, Whose Responsibility? Boundaries of roles and responsibilities in housing with care, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Links: Report (1) | Summary | Report (2) | Summary | Report (3) | Report (4) | Summary | Report (5) | Summary
Date: 2012-Dec
A paper examined the housing tenure decisions taken by older people in Europe. In nearly all countries the home-ownership rate among older people did not decline with age, contrary to the 'life cycle hypothesis'.
Source: Joaquin Alegre and Llorenc Pou, The Homeownership Rate among the Elderly and the Life Cycle Hypothesis: European evidence using individual and household data, Working Paper 49, Departament d'Economia Aplicada, La Universitat de les Illes Balears
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Dec
Three linked briefing paper examined issues relating to the accommodation needs of older people.
Source: Market Position Statements and Housing, Institute of Public Care (Oxford Brookes University) | Health, Wellbeing, and the Older People Housing Agenda, Institute of Public Care (Oxford Brookes University) | Making Best Use of our Sheltered Housing Asset, Institute of Public Care (Oxford Brookes University)
Links: Briefing (1) | Briefing (2) | Briefing (3)
Date: 2012-Dec
A report by an all-party group of MPs highlighted the benefits of improved housing options for older people. Benefits from developing good quality housing for older people included a reduction in health and social care costs, as well as the freeing up of family housing. The report made a series of recommendations designed to create movement in the housing market, improve the health of older people, and create new housing options for younger people and families.
Source: Housing our Ageing Population: Plan for Implementation, All Party Parliamentary Group on Housing and Care for Older People
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2012-Nov
A report said that a radical shake-up of the government's home adaptations system, including supporting family doctors to prescribe home improvements for older and disabled people, could both improve care and save public money.
Source: Home Solutions to Our Care Crisis, Papworth Trust
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Nov
A report said that retirement housing needed to undergo wide-ranging improvements if older people were to see it as a practical and attractive option for later life. There was a need for more regulation within the private retirement sector, and more rights and support for residents to take over the management of their properties. There were particular problems associated with the leasehold structure and management of private retirement homes, such as overcharging, exit fees, and unclear contracts.
Source: Making it Work for Us: A residents inquiry into sheltered and retirement housing, Age UK
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Oct
A report examined the role of sheltered housing in Northern Ireland. The needs of tenants had changed since sheltered housing was first developed: feedback from scheme co-ordinators indicated that more residents than in the past had mental health problems and alcohol or other addictions.
Source: Fiona Boyle, The Role of Sheltered Housing in Northern Ireland and Future Issues, Northern Ireland Housing Executive
Date: 2012-Oct
A paper examined the combined effects of population ageing and changes in long-term care policy on the housing market. The trend away from institutional provision towards care at home would maintain the level of housing demand above what it would otherwise be. It would also have distributional consequences, with individuals less likely to reduce their housing equity to pay for institutional care, which in turn would increase the value of their bequests. Household formation effects involving those requiring long-term care were relatively weak and unlikely to significantly offset the effects of this policy shift on the housing market and on the distribution of wealth.
Source: David Bell and Alasdair Rutherford, Long-Term Care and the Housing Market, Discussion Paper 2012-13, Stirling Management School, University of Stirling
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Sep
A study examined how the affordability of retirement housing affected the housing options available to older people. The complexity of different eligibility and entitlement systems for state help with housing, housing-related support, or home care made it difficult for those considering retirement housing to know if, and at what stage, they would receive any support.
Source: Hannah Aldridge, Peter Kenway, and Jenny Pannell, Affordability of Retirement Housing in the UK, New Policy Institute
Date: 2012-Sep
An article examined the residential mobility decisions of elderly people in 11 European countries. Residential mobility was low: but there was some evidence that those who moved in old age tend to reduce housing consumption and investment by going from owning to renting. This 'downsizing' was positively linked to housing capital gains, while the existence of reverse mortgages in a country reduced it. Mobility to nursing homes and mobility between private homes responded to different incentives and motivations.
Source: Viola Angelini and Anne Laferrere, 'Residential mobility of the European elderly', CESifo Economic Studies, Volume 58 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Aug
Date: 2012-Jun
Date: 2012-Jun
An article drew on a study of older people (aged 68-71) in Edinburgh to show a direct association between neighbourhood deprivation and self-perceived quality of life in physical and environmental domains (though not in psychological or social relationship domains).
Source: Rene Mottus, Catharine Gale, John Starr, and Ian Deary, '"On the street where you live": neighbourhood deprivation and quality of life among community-dwelling older people in Edinburgh, Scotland', Social Science & Medicine, Volume 74 Issue 9
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Apr
Two linked reports examined housing market choices for older people. The housing market was failing to meet the needs of older people, despite a rapidly ageing population and a growing demand for retirement housing. The need for specialist housing for older people with care needs was particularly acute: if existing levels of demand remained constant, supply would have to increase by over 70 per cent in the next 20 years in order to keep up. And despite the fact that 80 per cent of older home-owners said they would be most likely to remain home-owners if they moved, there was very little specialist housing available to buy.
Source: Nicola Hughes, A Better Fit? Creating housing choices for an ageing population, Shelter | Jenny Pannell, Hannah Aldridge, and Peter Kenway, Market Assessment of Housing Options for Older People, New Policy Institute
Links: Report (1) | Report (2) | Shelter press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2012-Apr
A report summarized the findings of an evaluation of the 'FirstStop' information and advice service for older people – an independent, free service offering advice and information for older people, their families, and carers about housing and care options in later life.
Source: Evaluation of the FirstStop Initiative, Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research (University of Cambridge)
Links: Report | CHPR press release | Cambridge University press release | DCLG press release | Care & Repair press release | Labour Party press release
Date: 2012-Jan
A new book examined the growing use of housing equity by older people to support a range of activities and needs. It traced the protections afforded to older owners through the 'ordinary' law of property and contract, as well as the development of specific regulatory protections focused on targeted products. It considered the 'appropriateness' of existing legal provisions, and the arguments surrounding 'special protection' for older owners in housing equity transactions.
Source: Lorna Fox O'Mahony, Home Equity and Ageing Owners Between Risk and Regulation, Hart Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jan
A study examined an equity-release product being trialled by three local authorities, designed to provide small amounts for older home-owners on low incomes without any adverse impact on benefits.
Source: Rachel Terry and Richard Gibson, Assessment of Equity Release Pilot Schemes, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Date: 2012-Jan
