Off the Radar? Addressing housing disrepair to improve health in later life

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 224-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Marie Adams
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Older People ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Housing Stock ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Housing Services

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight the pivotal role of initiatives that address housing disrepair, home improvements and adaptations as a way of improving health, independence and quality of life in older age. Design/methodology/approach The author uses data from housing and health, combined with the author’s experience of policy formulation as well as working with older people and developing practical services, particularly those which address private sector housing stock condition. Findings As well as its massive economic impact, housing greatly affects people’s health and wellbeing, not only in later life but across the life course. In England, there is a long history of systematic, government backed action to improve and maintain housing stock condition. There are significant economic and social gains from a coherent national response to addressing private sector housing disrepair, including creation of employment opportunities, economic stimulus through enabling best use of assets, as well as health and social care gains. In addition to increasing housing supply through building much needed new homes, existing housing stock disrepair needs once again to be “on the radar” of policy makers operating across health, social care and housing. Concerted action to make homes safe, healthy places to live in later life, whatever an older person’s tenure, requires vision and innovation and is an essential element in the integration of health, social care – and housing. With significant funding constraints in local authorities, especially for adult social care, and in the context of growing pressures on the NHS, sustaining good health in later life is more important than ever. There is a compelling case for cross-sector action to reduce health hazards in ordinary, private housing, given that 79 per cent of older people who live in non-decent homes are owner occupiers. This is an opportune moment for Health and Wellbeing Boards to take a lead on this issue at a local level, as well as time to put housing stock condition back “On the Radar” of national government policy. Social implications There is a need to embed practical housing services in the emerging integrated health and care systems in order to extend healthy later life for the majority of older people who live in mainstream housing. Originality/value The author draws on over 30 years’ experience of innovation, development and evaluation of older people’s housing, services and policy development to provide a vision for greater integration across health, care and housing.

Attitudes towards ageing and their impact on health and wellbeing in later life: an agenda for further analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 214-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guy Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Social Care ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Psychosocial Interventions ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Service Development ◽  
Negative Stereotypes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a high-level overview of a substantial body of research on the impact that negative attitudes towards ageing have on the health and wellbeing outcomes of people in later life and to highlight the need for a more interdisciplinary approach towards older people’s wellbeing. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws from an initial analysis of over 70 peers reviewed and published studies on the psychosocial impact of negative stereotypes about ageing. Findings There is overwhelming evidence that the way in which people think about ageing can have a very significant adverse impact on a wide array of health and wellbeing outcomes. This research evidence is largely unknown, nor operationalised, within the field of health and social care policy or service development. Practical implications The fact that beliefs and attitudes can have such a profound impact on health and wellbeing outcomes suggests the possibility of psychosocial interventions to address them in order to improve older people’s experience of later life. There is a need for a much more interdisciplinary research agenda to take these findings forward. Social implications The evidence suggests the need for a much more rigorous and comprehensive approach to addressing the effects of socially constructed ageist attitudes. Originality/value Whilst the research itself is not new, the originality of this paper is its attempt to bring data from a different discipline into the health and social care ambit and thereby extend the knowledge base and create the possible conditions for the development and application of new psychosocial interventions to improve the lives of older people.

scholarly journals Housing voices: using theatre and film to engage people in later life housing and health conversations

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 181-192
Author(s):  
Cathy Bailey ◽  
Natalie Forster ◽  
Barbara Douglas ◽  
Claire Webster Saaremets ◽  
Esther Salamon
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Select Committee ◽  
Content Type ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Primary Responsibility ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Types Of Information

Purpose Quality, accessible and appropriate housing is key to older people’s ability to live independently. The purpose of this paper is to understand older people’s housing aspirations and whether these are currently being met. Evidence suggests one in five households occupied by older people in England does not meet the standard of a decent home. The Building Research Establishment has calculated that poor housing costs the English National Health Service £1,4bn annually (Roys et al., 2016). Design/methodology/approach This paper reports on the findings of a participatory theatre approach to engaging with those not often heard from – notably, those ageing without children and older people with primary responsibility for ageing relatives – about planning for housing decisions in later life. The project was led by an older people’s forum, Elders Council, with Skimstone Arts organisation and Northumbria University, in the north east of England. Findings Findings suggest there is an urgent need to listen to and engage with people about their later life housing aspirations. There is also a need to use this evidence to inform housing, health and social care policy makers, practitioners, service commissioners and providers and product and service designers, to encourage older people to become informed and plan ahead. Research limitations/implications Use of a participatory theatre approach facilitated people to explore their own decision making and identify the types of information and support they need to make critical decisions about their housing in later life. Such insights can generate evidence for future housing, social care and health needs. Findings endorse the recent Communities and Local Government (2018) Select Committee Inquiry and report on Housing for Older People and the need for a national strategy for older people’s housing. Originality/value Although this call is evidenced through an English national case study, from within the context of global population ageing, it has international relevance.

Living well in later life in Scotland

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Hendry
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Living Well ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Scottish Government

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the development, implementation and early impact of a national action plan for active and healthy ageing in Scotland. Design/methodology/approach The Joint Improvement Team, NHS Health Scotland, the Scottish Government and the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (ALLIANCE) co-produced the action plan with older people from the Scottish Older People’s Assembly. Together they supported partnerships to embed the action plan as an important element of the reshaping care for older people transformation programme in Scotland. Findings A cross-sector improvement network supported health, housing and care partnerships to use a £300 million Change Fund to implement evidence based preventative approaches to enable older people to live well. Older people in Scotland spent over two million days at home than would have been expected based on previous balance of care and impact of ageing. Practical implications Improving the health and wellbeing of older people is not just the responsibility of health and social care services. Enabling older people to live independent, active and fulfilling lives requires coordinated effort that spans national and local government policy areas, mobilises all sectors of society, and involves all health and care disciplines. Success starts with listening to what matters to older people, and working together, and with older people and local communities, to make that a reality. Originality/value This case study from Scotland offers transferable learning for other systems who have an ageing population and an ambitions to enable them to live well in later life.

Social prescription and the role of participatory arts programmes for older people with sensory impairments

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Vogelpoel ◽  
Kara Jarrold
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Integrated Services ◽  
Voluntary Sector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Sensory Impairments ◽  
Participatory Arts

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the benefits of a social prescribing service for older people with sensory impairments experiencing social isolation. The paper draws on the findings from a 12-week programme run by Sense, a voluntary sector organisation, and illustrates how integrated services, combining arts-based participation and voluntary sector support, can create positive health and wellbeing outcomes for older people. Design/methodology/approach – The research took a mixed-methodological approach, conducting and analysing data from interviews and dynamic observation proformas with facilitators and quantitative psychological wellbeing scores with participants throughout the course of the programme. Observations and case study data were also collected to complement and contextualise the data sets. Findings – The research found that participatory arts programmes can help combat social isolation amongst older people with sensory impairments and can offer an important alliance for social care providers who are required to reach more people under increasing pecuniary pressures. The research also highlights other benefits for health and wellbeing in the group including increased self-confidence, new friendships, increased mental wellbeing and reduced social isolation. Research limitations/implications – The research was based on a sample size of 12 people with sensory impairments and therefore may lack generalisability. However, similar outcomes for people engaging in participatory arts through social prescription are documented elsewhere in the literature. Practical implications – The paper includes implications for existing health and social care services and argues that delivering more integrated services that combine health and social care pathways with arts provision have the potential to create social and medical health benefits without being care/support resource heavy. Originality/value – This paper fulfils a need to understand and develop services that are beneficial to older people who become sensory impaired in later life. This cohort is growing and, at present, there are very few services for this community at high risk of social isolation.

scholarly journals The importance of a room with a view for older people with limited mobility

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 273-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Musselwhite
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Limited Mobility ◽  
Human Element ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Vantage Points ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how older people who are almost entirely housebound use a view from their window to make sense of the world and stay connected to the outside space that they cannot physically inhabit. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews with 42 individuals were carried out who were living at home, were relatively immobile and had an interesting view outside they liked from one or more of their windows. Findings The findings suggest that immobile older people enjoy watching a motion-full, changing, world going on outside of their own mobility and interact and create meaning and sense, relating themselves to the outside world. Practical implications Findings suggest that those working in health and social care must realise the importance of older people observing the outdoors and create situations where that is enabled and maintained through improving vantage points and potentially using technology. Originality/value This study builds and updates work by Rowles (1981) showing that preference for views from the window involves the immediate surveillance zone but also further afield. The view can be rural or urban but should include a human element from which older people can interact through storytelling. The view often contains different flows, between mundane and mystery and intrigue, and between expected and random.

Challenging times: building a health, housing and social care local workforce strategy

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 108-122
Author(s):  
Patricia Dearnaley ◽  
Joanne E. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Older People ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Workforce Planning ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Fiscal Impact ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Health And Social Care

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to stimulate a wider debate around the coordination of workforce planning in non-statutory services (in this case, specialist housing for older people or those with long-term health and social care needs, such as learning disabilities). The authors argue that current NHS reforms do not go far enough in that they fail to include specialist housing and its workforce in integration, and by doing so, will be unable to optimise the potential efficiencies and streamlining of service delivery to this group. Design/methodology/approach The paper used exploratory study using existing research and data, enhanced by documentary analysis from industry bodies, regulators and policy think tanks. Findings That to achieve the greatest operational and fiscal impact upon the health care services, priority must be given to improving the efficiency and coordination of services to older people and those requiring nursing homes or registered care across the public and third sectors through the integration of service delivery and workforce planning. Research limitations/implications Whilst generalisable and achievable, the model proposed within the paper cannot be fully tested theoretically and requires further testing the in real health and social care market to evidence its practicality, improved quality of care and financial benefits. Originality/value The paper highlights some potential limitations to the current NHS reforms: by integrating non-statutory services, planned efficiency savings may be optimised and service delivery improved.

scholarly journals Developing a joint outcomes contracting model for integrated health and social care for older people

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 282-299
Author(s):  
Jenny Billings ◽  
Alison Davis
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Chronically Ill ◽  
Long Term Conditions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Integrated Health ◽  
Contracting Model ◽  
Whole Systems

Purpose Current debates surrounding the NHS contract in England are suggesting that it is in need of change to support an integrated health and social care transformation agenda that meets the needs of an ageing chronically ill population. The purpose of this paper is to describe a three-phase project in England that sought to develop and validate a whole systems contracting model for integrated health and social care focusing on older people with long-term conditions, and based on joint outcomes. Design/methodology/approach A participative mixed-method approach for the development of the contracting model was used; this consisted of a literature review, a design phase drawing on consensus method through stakeholder discussions and an international validation phase. Findings The final contracting model consists of four overarching and interrelated core elements: outcomes; partnership, collaboration and leadership; financial: incentives and risk; and legal criteria. Each core element has a series of more detailed contracting criteria, followed by further specifications attached to each criteria. Research limitations/implications While the policy environment appears to be conducive to change and encourages the adoption of new ways of thinking, there are difficulties with the implementation of new innovative models that challenge the status quo, and this is discussed. Practical implications The paper concludes with reflections on the way forward for local development and implementation. Originality/value There is currently much discussion for the need to realign contracting for integrated care that has a better fit for the transformation agenda, but until now, there have been no attempts to develop a whole systems approach that focusses on joint outcomes. This research bridges the gap but recognizes the challenges to implementation.

Collaboration between housing, health and social care

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 69-77
Author(s):  
Tim Brown
Keyword(s):  
Social Care ◽  
Housing Association ◽  
Local Level ◽  
National Level ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Housing Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
East Midlands ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities

Purpose Comment on the contribution that housing can make to delivering better health and wellbeing outcomes. More specifically, the purpose of this paper is threefold: summarise recent evidence that makes the case for housing in helping to address health and social care issues; comment on the challenges and opportunities of partnership working; and describe examples of interesting and innovative local joint provision. Design/methodology/approach Draws on the author’s briefing papers on housing, health and social care for housing quality network, which is a national housing consultancy organisation as well as the author’s role as Chairperson of East Midlands Housing Care and Support, which is a regional housing association. Findings Collaboration between housing, health and social care is making slow progress at the national level in England. This is despite an ever-increasing evidence base highlighting that good housing can help to address issues, such as delayed discharges. Nevertheless, there are an increasing number of interesting examples of successful local initiatives on housing, health and adult social care. The way forward is to facilitate joint working at a local level. Originality/value Focusses on the success of examples of local joint working between housing, health and social care to achieve better outcomes for vulnerable people.

Why is it important to consider so-called “invisible” older people in UK healthcare?

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 187-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthea Tinker ◽  
Nesar Gilani ◽  
Isabella Luthra ◽  
Olivia Richardson ◽  
Alexander Howells ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Preliminary Account ◽  
Government Statistics ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to start a debate about older people who are in groups that are not readily visible to policy makers and practitioners. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on information obtained from academic literature, government statistics and other publications from relevant organisations. The authors investigated one “invisible” group each and comparisons and conclusions were then made collaboratively. Findings – Many groups of older people seem to be absent from statistics and from policy making. The paper suggests that there needs to be more research to identify the scale of any problems and how they may be solved. Research limitations/implications – This is not a systematic review but a preliminary account of the problem. Practical implications – There are practical implications for health and social care professionals if they do not recognise that there are groups in society about whom little is known. Lack of knowledge and empathy may affect their approach to these groups. Social implications – There are implications for society if these groups are not taken into account in decision making and especially over the allocation of resources. Originality/value – There is little written which brings together the lack of attention paid to these groups as a whole.

Third sector partnerships for older people: insights from live at home schemes in the UK

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 148-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olumide Adisa
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Third Sector ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Uk ◽  
At Home

Purpose While there is a rich literature on the role of partnerships between statutory agencies and third sector organisations for public service delivery in health and social care, the evidence base on, partnerships between community-based groups and charities for older people in the UK is lacking. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data, the purpose of this paper is to examines partnerships within 46 live at home (LAH) schemes. These schemes were specifically designed to tackle isolation and promote independence and wellbeing by providing a wide range of activities, based on the needs of its members. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on an online survey of 46 LAH schemes and face-to-face interviews with seven scheme managers to capture data on the various partnership initiatives within the LAH schemes. Findings Third sector partnerships for older people varied by type – formal, semi-formal and informal. In addition, third sector partnership working fosters the achievement of clear outcomes for older people who LAH and could be a mechanism for building social capital in communities. The study also identified barriers to developing third sector partnerships within this context. Mapping existing partnerships in LAH schemes were considered to be useful in engaging with partners. LAH scheme managers were better able to identify partnerships that could be deepened and broadened, depending on the desired outcomes. Originality/value To the author’s knowledge, there are few studies on third sector partnership working in LAH schemes for older people. According to Age UK, there are 1.2m chronically lonely older people in the UK. Over half of all people aged 75 and over live alone (ONS, 2015). Loneliness and social isolation in later life are considered to be two of the largest health concerns we face. Scaling up these third sector partnerships may offer a credible way to shore up support for older people who live alone or want to live at home.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document