{"title":"What is the Relationship Between Older People's Housing Characteristics and Their Care Needs?","authors":"Nicola Brimblecombe, Madeleine Stevens, Jayeeta Rajagopalan, Bo Hu, Javiera Cartagena Farias, Daisy Pharoah","doi":"10.1080/08959420.2024.2422664","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Housing conditions and quality are well-established structural or social determinants of health. Poor quality housing also has the potential to affect care needs, but there is much less research on the topic, particularly on nonspecialist housing. Based on analysis of in-depth interviews with 44 people aged 65 and older living in England, their unpaid carers (<i>N</i> = 22), or as a carer-care recipient dyad (<i>N</i> = 6), (total <i>N</i> = 72), this study sought to explore the perceived relationship between people's housing conditions and characteristics and their care needs. Findings indicate three key themes within this relationship: condition of home (cold and damp; state of repair; cleanliness and clutter); space and design (space, access); and legal relationship with the home (ability to carry out remedial work; precarity). There was variation in how and whether housing affected care needs by housing tenure, financial resources, and the type and level of care need. Care needs can increase requirement for warmer, less damp homes and be a barrier to improving homes. In turn, housing has a role to play in preventing the occurrence or worsening of care needs. Improving housing through policy and practice actions could reduce care needs and improve the lives of older people now and in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":47121,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Aging & Social Policy","volume":" ","pages":"1-18"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Aging & Social Policy","FirstCategoryId":"90","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08959420.2024.2422664","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"GERONTOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Housing conditions and quality are well-established structural or social determinants of health. Poor quality housing also has the potential to affect care needs, but there is much less research on the topic, particularly on nonspecialist housing. Based on analysis of in-depth interviews with 44 people aged 65 and older living in England, their unpaid carers (N = 22), or as a carer-care recipient dyad (N = 6), (total N = 72), this study sought to explore the perceived relationship between people's housing conditions and characteristics and their care needs. Findings indicate three key themes within this relationship: condition of home (cold and damp; state of repair; cleanliness and clutter); space and design (space, access); and legal relationship with the home (ability to carry out remedial work; precarity). There was variation in how and whether housing affected care needs by housing tenure, financial resources, and the type and level of care need. Care needs can increase requirement for warmer, less damp homes and be a barrier to improving homes. In turn, housing has a role to play in preventing the occurrence or worsening of care needs. Improving housing through policy and practice actions could reduce care needs and improve the lives of older people now and in the future.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Aging & Social Policy offers a platform for insightful contributions from an international and interdisciplinary group of policy analysts and scholars. It provides an in-depth examination and analysis of critical phenomena that impact aging and the development and implementation of programs for the elderly from a global perspective, with a broad scope that encompasses not only the United States but also regions including Europe, the Middle East, Australia, Latin America, Asia, and the Asia-Pacific rim.
The journal regularly addresses a wide array of issues such as long-term services and supports, home- and community-based care, nursing-home care, assisted living, long-term care financing, financial security, employment and training, public and private pension coverage, housing, transportation, health care access, financing, and quality, family dynamics, and retirement. These topics are of significant importance to the field of aging and social policy, reflecting the journal's commitment to presenting a comprehensive view of the challenges and solutions related to aging populations around the world.