The survey, Coming of Age: Better Housing Options for Older People, conducted by the Associated Retirement Community Operators (ARCO) and Later Life Ambitions shines a spotlight on the wants and desires of older people and the conflicting options available to them.
Of those surveyed, 56% of older people are interested in moving, rising to 70% if to somewhere with care and support as an alternative to a care home, yet only 12% say their local area has enough downsizing options, including those with care.
Older people surveyed overwhelmingly supported government action to increase the provision of housingwith-care for older people and to address the shortfall in the UK’s provision when compared with countries such as the USA, New Zealand and Australia, where nearly ten times the level of provision exists.
This latest report supports the ongoing campaigns from organisations across the sector calling for the government to provide accessible homes fit for the future. Most recently, the Housing Made for Everyone (HoME) coalition called on the public to back proposals for more accessible homes and the Centre for Ageing Better and The King’s Fund recently confirmed in its report Homes, Health and Covid-19 that there are 4.3 million ‘non-decent’ homes in England, putting the health and wellbeing of the estimated 10 million occupants at risk.