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A community hub approach to older people’s housing

Simon Evans (Institute for Health and Society, University of Worcester, Worcester, UK)
Teresa Atkinson (Institute for Health and Society, University of Worcester, Worcester, UK)
Robin Darton (Personal Social Services Research Unit, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK)
Ailsa Cameron (School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK)
Ann Netten (Personal Social Services Research Unit, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK)
Randall Smith (School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK)
Jeremy Porteus (Housing Learning and Improvement Network, London, UK)

Quality in Ageing and Older Adults

ISSN: 1471-7794

Publication date: 13 March 2017

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of housing with care schemes to act as community hubs. The analysis highlights a range of benefits, barriers and facilitators.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are presented from the Adult Social Services Environments and Settings project which used a mixed methods approach including a review of the literature, surveys and in-depth case study interviews.

Findings

Most housing with care schemes have a restaurant or café, communal lounge, garden, hairdresser, activity room and laundrette, while many also have a library, gym, computer access and a shop. Many of these facilities are open not just to residents but also to the wider community, reflecting a more integrated approach to community health and adult social care, by sharing access to primary health care and social services between people living in the scheme and those living nearby. Potential benefits of this approach include the integration of older people’s housing, reduced isolation and increased cost effectiveness of local services through economies of scale and by maximising preventative approaches to health and wellbeing. Successful implementation of the model depends on a range of criteria including being located within or close to a residential area and having on-site facilities that are accessible to the public.

Originality/value

This paper is part of a very new literature on community hub models of housing with care in the UK. In the light of new requirements under the Care Act to better coordinate community services, it provides insights into how this approach can work and offers an analysis of the benefits and challenges that will be of interest to commissioners and providers as well as planners. This was a small scale research project based on four case studies. Caution should be taken when considering the findings in different settings.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the older people, staff and other professionals who gave time to participate in the research. The authors also thank the project advisory group for the valuable input. The research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research School for Social Care Research. The role of the funders included reviewing the research proposal, monitoring progress of the research and reviewing project findings.

This paper reports on independent research funded by the NIHR School for Social Care Research. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR School for Social Care Research or the Department of Health/NIHR.

Citation

Evans, S., Atkinson, T., Darton, R., Cameron, A., Netten, A., Smith, R. and Porteus, J. (2017), "A community hub approach to older people’s housing", Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, Vol. 18 No. 1, pp. 20-32. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAOA-02-2015-0008

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Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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