Contextualised strategies and interventions for ageing in place in low-population density areas

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to support the global initiatives that advocate for ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for everyone, regardless of age, while allowing people to stay at their homes as long as they desire. The built environment (BE) plays a crucial role in achieving this, but in some countries, such as the UK, the housing stock has been found to require extensive adaptations to support resident’s health and well-being. While much research has been done on care provisions and later living housing, these solutions are unsuitable for low-population density areas (LPDAs).Design/methodology/approachThe study is encompassed by investigations around a systematic product development guided by the Double-Diamond Design Framework. This research focused on the “Discovery” phase, which involved online in-depth interviews, incorporating elements from the Human-Activity-Space-Technology Model, supplemented by an interactive board to discover key activities, elements and actors involved in supporting strategies for ageing in place.FindingsThis paper presents strategies to help people age in place, focusing on LPDAs. The interventions identified in this paper encompass fundamental elements such as layout design and smart home technologies.Originality/valueThe results provide contextualised BE interventions applicable to creating age-friendly communities, focusing on house design and service delivery from a product design approach.