Housing and health care for older people

There is an enormous impact of home conditions both on the health of an older person living with a long-term illness, and their ability to remain independent in the face of disability. Geriatricians are often called upon to give advice to older people with a new illness about where to live. It is important therefore that they should understand the relationship between housing and health, and how to signpost patients and their families to advice on housing options. The relationship between poor housing and ill health is most clearly seen in older people: they have the highest prevalence of long-term conditions, and those over 85 spend 90% of their time at home [3]. Older people are the most vulnerable to the ill effects of poor housing and are the age group most likely to occupy poor housing.