Inquiry into decent and accessible homes for older people

For the UK’s 1.4 million people over the age of 65 with unmet care needs, everyday essential tasks like getting out of bed, going to the toilet or getting dressed are inextricably linked to their living circumstances and are often made worse by poor housing conditions.This might be because they don’t have the right facilities in their homes for a carer to be able to cook, clean or help with their healthcare. They might also struggle to get the right adaptations for their needs or to give them the independence for them to be able to look after themselves, which might be something as simple as having handrails in the shower and on the stairs, or more substantial such as wider internal doors and stair lifts. Going further, telecare and telehealth equipment that is designed to help people who live at home manage their long-term health conditions, can also have huge potential to improve older people’s lives but we need to ensure the benefits of new technology are widely available.We know that poor housing is increasing the strain on the social care system and the NHS. For instance, the cost to the NHS of delayed discharge from hospital is a staggering £500 a minuteiiand not having a suitable home to return to can be a key issue causing delays and compromising successful rehabilitation and return to independence. It is vital that we find long-term solutions to ensure that an ageing population can live in decent and accessible homes.