Not enough homes being built for older people - new research

The number of people aged 85 and over will more than double in the UK over the next 25 years. With an ageing population will come additional pressures on services and resources – and one area of specific concern is housing. Recent research suggests the cost to the NHS from older people being poorly housed is over £600m a year. While some of the issues may be remedied with home improvements and adaptations, there is a need for more specialist accommodation for older people. Our recent research, funded by the NHS and conducted in partnership with local authorities in Cambridgeshire, has focused on this very issue. We have found that if current trends continue, there will be stark shortages in specialist housing for older people across England by 2035. Specifically, our findings reveal that more than 750,000 additional specialist homes will be required by this date, in England alone, to deal with the shortfall.