Age-friendly, inclusive & healthy living
- By 2030, one in five people in the UK (21.8%) will be 65 years old or over, and 40% of the working age population will have a long-term health condition [ONS, 2017]. The Government’s Ageing Society Grand Challenge mission is for people to enjoy 5 more years of healthy, independent living by 2035. Through innovative technologies, finance and housing models the mission is enabling continuation of access to employment, care and help to stay connected to overcome loneliness, regardless of age. Decent and accessible homes are key to continue to live in our own homes. However, 93% of our current homes fail accessibility standards [MHCLG, 2016]. It is estimated that illness and injuries caused by poor housing with a significant HHSRS hazard, costs the NHS £2 billion per year in the first-year treatment costs [Nicol,S, 2011]. With most of us spending 65% of our time indoors at home provision of a heathy and safe internal environment is fundamental [UKGBC, 2016]
- The future labour market is expected to be significantly shaped by the emergence of technology-led interconnectivity and collaboration [UKCES,2014]. Flexible working is estimated to contribute £148 billion to the UK economy by 2030 [Workplace insight, 2018]. Work and travel trends are set to change significantly, with more people working from home and for longer as they age. This will be combined with growing demands for digital and smart technologies in the home.
- Loneliness affects people of all ages, with younger adults aged 16 to 24 years having reported feeling lonely more often than those in older age groups. In 2017-18, 8% of 25-34 year olds reported feeling lonely often or all of the time, compared to 5% of 50-64 year olds and 3% of 65-74 year olds. [ONS, 2018]
- We need the right type of homes that meet the needs of all age groups and household types. 24% of over 55s are considering moving home; 49% of this group said that they were prevented from moving by the lack of housing options (Stern, D, Warren, I and Forth, A, 2019)
- In 2019, a poll of 4000 UK adults found that 72% of people agreed that homes should be built to be suitable for all ages and abilities. The same poll identified that 62% of respondents don’t think their current home would be suitable for a person with a disability or an older relative to move around, with 45% of over-65s concerned that they would struggle with everyday activities like cooking, bathing or eating in the future. A quarter of 18-24s (25%) and 25-34s (28%) say they would be encouraged to buy homes with features such as level access entrances, walk-in showers or handrails with around half of that age-group saying they would be neither encouraged nor discouraged (Centre for Ageing Better, 2019)
- Families and households are changing, with increasing numbers of people in their 50s and 60s living alone and divorcing. This has implications for the role of communities in ensuring people remain physically and socially connected and supported in later life [Centre for ageing better, 2019].
- 3.4% of people aged over 50 move home each year, half as many as other age groups. The majority of older people appear to be in a ‘rightsizing gap’, where housing options supporting a better quality of life are neither available nor accessible to them. (Centre for Ageing Better, 2019)
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Office of National Statistics (2017). National population projections: 2016-based - Office for National Statistics. Retrieved December 04 2019
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Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, (2016), English Housing Survey 2014 to 2015: adaptations and accessibility of homes report. Retrieved December 10 2019
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Nicol.S et al. (2011). The Cost of Poor Housing to the NHS, BRE. Retrieved December 04 2019,
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UKCES. (2014). Trends and Disruptions: Full report, UK Commission for Employment and Skills. Retrieved December 04 2019
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Internet article: Flexible Working to contribute £148 billion to UK economy by 2030, Retrieved December 04 2019
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Housing LIN design hub. All 5 HAPPI reports
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MHCLG (2019), National Design Guide Retrieved December 04 2019
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Centre for Ageing Better (2019) UK on verge of accessible housing crisis as poll shows most Brits want homes to suit all ages and abilities. Retrieved February 06 2020
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Centre for Ageing Better (2019) Rightsizing: reframing the housing offer for older people. Retrieved February 06 2020
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Centre for Ageing Better commissioned Ipsos MORI in 2015 to conduct a mixed methods research study designed to understand the barriers and enablers to a good later life and how different groups of people in England are currently experiencing and thinking about later life. This report was published in 2015 – ‘Later life in 2015: An analysis of the views and experiences of people aged 50 and over’
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CCC (2016) UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 2017: Evidence Report, Committee On Climate Change. Retrieved December 04 2019
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CCC (2019), UK Housing: Fit for Future?. Retrieved December 04 2019
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NICE [2019], Indoor air quality at home, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Guideline, Draft for Consultation. Retrieved December 04 2019
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UKGBC (2016) Health and Wellbeing in Homes. Retrieved December 04 2019
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UK Parliament (2018) Building our Future Laying the Foundations for Healthy Homes and Buildings, White paper. Retrieved December 04 2019
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MHCLG (2019), Research into overheating in new homes Phase 1 report. Retrieved December 04 2019
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Stern, D, Warren, I and Forth, A (2019), A Home for the Ages: Planning for the future with age-friendly designs, RIBA Publishing
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Centre for Aging better (2019), The State of Ageing in 2019, Adding life to our years. Retrieved December 10 2019
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ONS [2018], Loneliness - What characteristics and circumstances are associated with feeling lonely?. Retrieved December 10 2019
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NHS (2019), Putting Health into Place:Design, Deliver and Manage. Retrieved December 10 2019
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Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport & Office for Civil Society (2020) Loneliness Annual Report January 2020. Retrieved February 5 2020
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RIBA (2019) A Home for the Ages. Retrieved February 5 2020
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Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (2020) The Inside Story: Health effects of indoor air quality on children and young people. Retrieved February 6 2020
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University of Sheffield (2016) Designing with Downsizers: The next generation of 'downsizer homes' for an active third age (Designing for wellbeing in environments in later life)
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Park J and Porteus J (2018) Age-friendly housing: Future design for older people RIBA Bookshops
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Habinteg (2018) Wheelchair housing design guide, 3rd edition
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Homes and Communities Agency (2012) Non mainstream housing design guidance