Extra care housing: is it really an option for older people?

Abstract

Extra care housing enables older people to remain in their 'own home', while providing appropriate housing and access to health and social care services that are responsive to their needs. This type of provision is very much in line with the government policy of fostering people's sense of control and independence, and is a priority area for expansion. We explored the current levels of development and expansion of extra care housing in terms of the numbers of schemes and places and factors that contributed to and were problematic in its development.

Transition from community dwelling to retirement village in older adults: cognitive functioning and psychological health outcomes

“…According to the Ontario Health Quality project ‘Aging in the Community’ (Health Quality 2008), social isolation is one of the main reasons older adults (over 65 years of age) move into community living (the others being falls and injuries, incontinence issues and cognitive impairment – mainly dementia). As Kneale (2013) suggested, having a home within extra-care housing (Dawson, Williams and Netten 2006) may help ease the loneliness and social isolation of some older adults. Thus, older adults who make the transition to a socially engaging retirement community may benefit from measurable improvements to both mental health and cognitive functioning.…”

The Contribution of Social Work and Social Interventions Across the Life Course to the Reduction of Health Inequalities: A New Agenda for Social Work Education?

“…Findings: Dawson et al (2006) found that the most influential factor promoting development of ECH was good partnerships between social services, housing departments and older people.…”

It’s not just about where someone lives: educating student social workers about housing-related matters to promote an understanding of social justice

“…However, a move for Elsie to extra-care accommodation is problematised by the fact that the provision of such accommodation remains limited (Dawson, et al, 2006). Furthermore, Wright, et al (2010) highlight problems such as local variation in eligibility criteria, a high turnover of care staff, and inaccessible environments within such accommodation.…”

“…Elsie: Offering security of tenure in a self-contained flat, with 24-hour care and support and access to communal facilities (Laing and Buisson, 2010), 'extra care' or 'very sheltered' accommodation was announced as a priority area for expansion in 2002 (Dawson, Williams, & Netten, 2006). Such accommodation can provide community based support, promote independence and well-being, and prevent unnecessary hospital and care home admission (Dawson, et al, 2006;Vallelly, Evans, Fear, & Means, 2006;Wright et al, 2010). The third case study concerned Elsie, an older woman with care and support needs associated with both physical and mental health difficulties, currently living in a ground floor flat but considering a move to extra care accommodation.…”