HIGHLIGHT

Housing with care can offer older people a better quality of life

Housing with care can support residents with widely different abilities, needs and care packages and offers some older people a better quality of life than mainstream housing, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Universities of Worcester, Bristol and Kent, the Housing Learning and Improvement Network and Housing 21. 
 
Led by Dr Simon Evans (Worcester), the study - Adult Social Care Environments and Settings (ASSET) – explored experiences of extra care housing and retirement villages, collectively known as housing with care. The study is the first to measure social care-related quality of life in these settings and found significantly improved outcomes, including greater independence, when compared with remaining in mainstream housing.  
 
The evidence suggested housing with care effectively reduced the need for services, and that these settings can be cost-effective compared with mainstream community housing. The data confirms previous findings that housing with care residents are on average less dependent, both physically and cognitively, than those living in care homes.
 
There were large differences in care and support needs across the sample of residents who took part in the mixed methods study, with a substantial proportion receiving no planned care; outcomes were also good for these residents.
 
While retirement villages and extra care housing share some characteristics they are very different forms of provision. Housing with care is often complex, both in terms of funding streams and the provision of care and support. Local authority approaches to commissioning adult social care vary considerably. In retirement villages, the commissioning of adult social care appears to be extremely uncommon.
 
The study concludes that although housing with care is increasingly popular, there is an urgent need to provide better financial information to current and prospective residents and their families. This could include information on personal budgets, direct payments and charging arrangements.
 
Read the full summary findings