scholarly journals Promoting Aging in Place in Social Housing

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 709-709
Author(s):  
Christine Sheppard ◽  
Tam Perry ◽  
Andrea Austen ◽  
Sander Hitzig
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Housing ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
Policy Decision ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Community Partnership ◽  
Service Model ◽  
Age In Place ◽  
Policy Decision Making

Abstract As cities around the globe plan for current and future older cohorts, there is a need to explore innovative housing models to help older adults age in place. This paper presents findings from an action-research academic/community partnership on a new service model at Toronto Community Housing, the second largest social housing landlord in North America and home to 27,000 older adults. As Toronto works to improve delivery of housing/support services, more knowledge was needed to understand the inadequate and inconsistent delivery of services to tenants. Interviews/focus groups with older tenants and service providers (N=116) identified challenges related to unit condition (e.g., pest control) and tenancy management (e.g., arrears), and that the fragmentation of housing and health services negatively impacts older tenants’ abilities to access supports and age in place. The presentation will conclude with discussion of planning and policy decision making approaches relevant to both Canadian and American contexts.

scholarly journals They Do Their Best, but Their Best Isn’t Good Enough: How Social Housing Can Support Older Tenants Aging in Place

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 23-23
Author(s):  
Christine Sheppard ◽  
Andrea Austen ◽  
Sander Hitzig
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Housing ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Service Model ◽  
Building Trust ◽  
Age In Place ◽  
Access To Health ◽  
The City

Abstract Toronto Community Housing (TCH) is the second largest social housing landlord in North America, and is home to over 27,000 older adults, half of whom live in 83 “seniors-designated” buildings. There is inadequate and inconsistent delivery of services in these buildings, negatively impacting tenants’ ability to age in place. We conducted two half-day consultations with service providers (n=74) and tenants (n=100) to identify strategies to improve unit condition, promote stable tenancies (i.e., prevent evictions) and enhance access to health and support services for older adults living in TCH. Through facilitated discussion, participants identified their top two recommendations for each priority area and reflected on the strategies that were hardest and easiest to implement, as well as the ones that would have the most and least impact on quality of life for older tenants. Participants recognized the need for more education as a way to empower older tenants and reduce stigma associated with unit condition issues (e.g., pest problems) and arrears. More frequent touch points with tenants was also recommended as a way to identify older adults at-risk of eviction and work proactively (instead of reactively) to support them. Service providers and tenants believed that system navigators working directly in the buildings would be a key facilitator to building trust and helping older tenants access needed services. Outcomes of the have several program and policy implications for TCH, as they partner with the City of Toronto to design a new integrated service model for the seniors-designated buildings.

scholarly journals An International Environmental Scan of Social Housing for Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 910-910
Author(s):  
Sander Hitzig ◽  
Christine Sheppard ◽  
Ariana Holt ◽  
Andrea Austen ◽  
Miller Glenn
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Social Housing ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Community Support ◽  
The United States ◽  
Housing Type ◽  
Environmental Scan ◽  
Age In Place

Abstract The City of Toronto is creating a standalone housing corporation to focus on the specific needs of low-income older adults living in social housing. A key focus of this new corporation will be to provide housing, health and community support services needed to optimize older adult tenants’ ability to maintain their tenancy and age in place with dignity and in comfort. To support this work, we conducted an environmental scan of service delivery models that connect low-income older adults living in social housing with health and support services. Desktop research was undertaken to identify relevant programs. For each model, key details were extracted including housing type, services offered, provider information, rent structure and funding sources. The scan identified 34 examples of social housing programs for older adults run by public, private and non-profit agencies across Canada, the United States and Europe that integrated health and supportive services. Successful models were those that understood the needs of tenants and developed collaborative partnerships with health and social service providers to create flexible place-based programs. A common challenge across jurisdictions was privacy legislation that made it difficult to share health and tenancy data with program partners. The presence of on-site staff that focused on building trust and community among tenants was considered key for identifying tenants requiring additional supports in order to age in place. These insights offer important considerations on how integrated supportive housing service models promote housing stability and support better health and wellbeing among older adults residing in social housing.

scholarly journals Delivery of Community Support Services for Older Adults in Social Housing

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 910-911
Author(s):  
Matthew Yau ◽  
Christine Sheppard ◽  
Jocelyn Charles ◽  
Andrea Austen ◽  
Sander Hitzig
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Social Housing ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Community Agencies ◽  
Visible Minorities ◽  
Community Support Services

Abstract Community support services are an integral component of aging in place. In social housing, older adult tenants struggle to access these services due to the siloed nature of housing and health services. This study aims to describe the relationship between community support services and social housing for older adults and examine ways to optimize delivery. Data on government-funded community support services delivered to 74 seniors’ social housing buildings in Toronto, Ontario was analyzed. Neighbourhood profile data for each building was also collected, and correlational analyses were used to examine the link between neighbourhood characteristics and service delivery. Fifty-six community agencies provided 5,976 units of services across 17 service categories, most commonly mental health supports, case management and congregate dining. On average, each building was supported by nine agencies that provided 80 units of service across 10 service categories. Buildings in neighbourhoods with a higher proportion of low-income older adults had more agencies providing on-site services (r = .275, p < .05), while those in neighbourhoods with more immigrants (r = -.417, p < .01), non-English speakers (r = -.325, p < .01), and visible minorities (r = -.381, p < .01) received fewer services. Findings point to a lack of coordination between service providers, with multiple agencies offering duplicative services within the same building. Vulnerable seniors from equity-seeking groups, including those who do not speak English and recent immigrants, may be excluded from many services, and future service delivery for seniors should strive to address disparities in availability and access.

scholarly journals Beyond Housing: Perceptions of Indirect Displacement, Displacement Risk, and Aging Precarity as Challenges to Aging in Place in Gentrifying Cities

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (23) ◽  
pp. 4633 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Shellae Versey ◽  
Serene Murad ◽  
Paul Willems ◽  
Mubarak Sanni
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
New York ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
Neighborhood Change ◽  
Age In Place ◽  
Unique Character ◽  
Housing Costs ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Cultural Shifts

Neighborhoods within age-friendly cities and communities are an important factor in shaping the everyday lives of older adults. Yet, less is known about how neighborhoods experiencing change influence the ability to age in place. One type of rapid neighborhood change occurring across major cities nationally and globally is gentrification, a process whereby the culture of an existing neighborhood changes through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses. Few studies have considered the impact of gentrification on older adults, who are among the most vulnerable to economic and social pressures that often accompany gentrification. The current study explores one consequence of gentrification, indirect displacement. While gentrification-induced displacement can refer to the physical (e.g., direct) displacement of residents moving out of a neighborhood due to rising housing costs, it also references the replacement of the unique character and social identity of a neighborhood (e.g., indirect displacement). We examine perceptions of the latter, characterized by perceived cultural shifts and housing concerns among adults aging in place in a gentrifying neighborhood in New York City. The implications of indirect displacement for displacement risk and aging precarity are discussed as potential threats to aging in place in age-friendly cities.

scholarly journals Home and Community Features, Perceived Age-Friendliness, and Intention Toward Aging in Place

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 560-560
Author(s):  
Yeon Jin Choi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Age In Place ◽  
Outdoor Spaces ◽  
Perceived Age ◽  
Aging Societies ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Promoting age-friendliness of communities and supporting aging in place (AIP) are of great importance in aging societies. However, little is known about the mechanism linking home and neighborhood features, older adults’ global assessment of community, and their willingness to age-in-place despite the importance in developing policies and interventions. This study used the 2015 AARP Age-Friendly Community Survey, which includes 66 home and neighborhood features under the eight domains specified by the WHO’s Age-Friendly Cities Guidelines. A series of linear regression models were estimated to examine the interrelationship between the availability of age-friendly features in eight domains, perceived age-friendliness of community, and intention toward AIP. Overall, a greater availability of age-friendly features was positively associated with perceived age-friendliness of community and AIP intention. The relationship between age-friendly features and AIP intention was mediated by perceived age-friendliness of community (50.3% to 96% of the total effects). When perceived age-friendliness of community was introduced to models, the direct effects of housing, outdoor spaces and buildings, and transportation domains remained significant. Findings suggest that a greater availability of age-friendly features influence older adults’ perception on their community, leading to the development of a desire to age-in-place. Domains of housing, outdoor spaces and buildings, and transportation may be the most importance features in promoting age-friendliness of community and the key determinants of aging-in-place. Policy makers and practitioners may need to prioritize promoting age-friendly built environment before social environment in building age-friendly communities.

scholarly journals LIFE SPACE MOBILITY AND NEIGHBORHOODS: HOW HOME MODIFICATIONS IMPACT AGING IN PLACE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S249-S249
Author(s):  
Alan DeLaTorre ◽  
Ivis García ◽  
Julianne Reno ◽  
Ja Young Kim ◽  
Keith Diaz Moore
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Salt Lake ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
Social Connections ◽  
Life Space ◽  
Lake County ◽  
Home Modification ◽  
Age In Place ◽  
Mobility Barriers ◽  
Home Modifications

Abstract This presentation details a mixed methods study funded by the National Institute for Transportation and Communities that was conducted with 50 older adults aged 65 and older who lived in Portland, Oregon (n=25) and Salt Lake County, Utah (n=25). The purpose of the study was to improve understanding of how home modifications affect older adults’ mobility in different life-spaces (e.g., one’s bedroom, neighborhood), their understanding of aging in place and neighborhood, and their ability to age in place. During each home visit, a series of research protocols (i.e., surveys, interviews, mapping exercises) were carried out with each participant. The study found that home modifications (e.g., grab bars, replacing showers with bathtubs, and adding raised toilets) were reported to increase in-home mobility and, for some, their independence; however, for certain participants, those same modifications were less useful, especially to those with the need for caregiver supports. Life-space mobility outside the home was impacted by home modification such as ramps and railings on stairs; for some, those modifications bolstered social connections and access to services. Overall, home modification were seen as enabling both mobility and aging in place. Furthermore, respondents’ understanding and description of their neighborhoods varied greatly and were influenced by mobility barriers (e.g., presence of sidewalks and crosswalks) and available amenities.

scholarly journals Governing by Polling Public Opinion: A Potentially Dangerous Idea for Our Healthcare System

2021 ◽  
pp. 016327872110182
Author(s):  
Paul Cristian Gugiu
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Policy Decision ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Policy Decision ◽  
Policy Decision Making ◽  
Foreign Actor

Kaplan and Baron-Epel advanced the notion that findings from public surveys should inform health policy decision making with respect to funding allocation. This approach to governing can draw large support from the populace, legislators, and the academic community alike. Yet, it has the potential to undermine evidence-based health policy decision making. In this paper, I delineate six drawbacks and several related corollaries drawn from historical events that have occurred during the recent coronavirus pandemic. These examples illustrate the dire downstream consequences (e.g., disregard for the needs of minority groups; diminution of critical services not broadly supported by the public; promotion of fringe group or foreign actor agendas; advancement of poorly informed opinions; shift from a forward-thinking, proactive perspective to a retroactive one; and reliance on potentially biased estimates) that may follow if public surveys become embedded in healthcare policy decision making. Without solutions to the drawbacks delineated in this paper, health policy driven by public opinion is likely to cause more harm than good.

scholarly journals PROMOTING AGING IN PLACE VIA RESEARCH, POLICY, AND PRACTICE IN AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S26-S26
Author(s):  
Kathy Black
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Professional Groups ◽  
Age In Place ◽  
Community Model ◽  
The Social ◽  
Global Age

Abstract The majority of Americans overwhelmingly prefer to age in place and in the communities in which they reside. Age-friendly communities support aging in place by focusing attention on features both inside and outside of the home. The global age-friendly community model provides a framework that requires assessing community-based older adults’ needs and preferences about, and developing subsequent action towards, features of the social, service and built environment including housing and transportation which are considered essential to aging successfully at home. This presentation discusses the intersect between research, policy and practice in an age-friendly community which utilized micro-level findings from older adults (n = 1, 172) to enact macro-level collaborations across local and statewide government and professional groups to facilitate aging in place across the domains of housing and transportation.

Stimulating Research to Enhance Aging in Place

2021 ◽  
pp. 153944922110222
Author(s):  
Juleen Rodakowski ◽  
Tracy M. Mroz ◽  
Carrie Ciro ◽  
Catherine L. Lysack ◽  
Jennifer L. Womack ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Implementation Strategies ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Priority Areas ◽  
Age In Place ◽  
Care Partners

Older adults may benefit from interventions to successfully age in place. Research has an opportunity to test interventions and implementation strategies to fulfill the needs of older adults through collective evidence building. The purpose of this article is to describe the proceedings of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) 2019 Planning Grant Collective and describe the areas of research that were identified as critical. The AOTF convened scientists with expertise in the area of aging in place to catalyze research on aging in place for older adults. Four priority areas in the aging in place literature were highlighted: (a) identification of factors that support aging in place, (b) classification of processes by which family members and care partners are included in aging in place efforts, (c) categorization of technology supporting older adults to age in place, and (d) development of science that clarifies implementation of evidence-based practice.

scholarly journals Architecture of a Smart Home for Aging in Place

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 39-39
Author(s):  
Neda Norouzi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
The United States ◽  
Census Bureau ◽  
United States Department ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Age In Place ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Private Homes

Abstract The United States Department of Health and Human Services (2017) estimates that there are 65 million people age 60+ residing across the fifty states. A national survey conducted by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) indicates that 76% of people ages 55+ prefer to age-in-place and live independently (2018). The Census Bureau American Community Survey (2015) estimates that 13 million adults have difficulties living independently, 80% of which receive assistance in their private homes. However, only 50% of these homes meet the physical needs of people who choose to age-in-place (AARP, 2018). Recent advancements in technology have led to the development of smart homes. Technology can support aging-in-place and independent living by offering necessary tools for building systems that identify behavioral patterns and offer automated decision-making. However, not all older adults are customed to using technology or comfortable with being monitored with artificial intelligence (Wang et al., 2019). In response to this concern, the current study used grounded theory framework to analyze 62 interviews of people ages 55-93 to indicate if and how older adults prefer to utilize technology in their homes. The results of the study presented that while some older adults felt they might be too old to learn and use technology, nearly 85% of the interviewers agreed that incorporating technology in the built environment could benefit them. They are especially willing to learn and use technology in their homes when the benefits are related to their health, social and emotional connection, entertainment, safety, and daily chores.

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