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Elevating Housing Solutions for the Elderly: Your Expertise is Key

Nury Moreira

The UK government departments for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), has launched the "Older People's Housing Taskforce." This initiative is designed to amplify the housing choices, quality, and security available to our ageing populace.  Led by Professor Emerita of Nursing, Julienne Meyer, the taskforce will primarily concentrate on specialised and supported housing solutions, specially tailored for middle-income elderly individuals while excluding care homes.  They have initiated the "Older People's Housing Taskforce - Call for Evidence" consultation in line with this.  Over the next 12 months, the taskforce will probe into this sector's challenges, facilitators, and prospective expansion areas, aiming to produce an independent report.  As members of the global engineering community, your expertise, innovative solutions, case studies and feedback are pivotal in guiding this call for expertise.

 

We have always championed the cause of harnessing technology and innovation to create a better society. Our reports on "Smart Homes for Healthier Ageing," "Decarbonising the Built Environment," "The Apollo Protocol," and "Digitisation for construction product manufacturers" are exemplars to our commitment in these areas.

 

Smart Homes for Healthier Ageing

The IET has always been at the forefront of technological advancements, ensuring that innovations are harnessed for the betterment of society. Our recent report, "Smart Homes for Healthier Ageing," is a testament to this commitment. It underscores engineers and technologists' pivotal role in promoting healthy ageing, emphasising the need for cross-sectoral collaboration to develop solutions that enhance well-being and quality of life as we age.

 

Decarbonising the Built Environment

Drawing from our extensive research and expertise in the built environment, we've also produced significant reports such as "Decarbonising the Built Environment." This report highlights the urgency of removing carbon from our current and future building stock, a crucial step towards achieving the UK's net-zero carbon economy by 2050. Carbon is not just an atmospheric concern; it's embedded in our buildings, from the materials we use to the energy consumed over a building's lifecycle. Addressing this requires innovative engineering solutions, market demand, and a shift in public perception.

 

The Apollo Protocol: unifying digital twins across sectors

Another noteworthy contribution is "The Apollo Protocol: unifying digital twins across sectors." This document advocates for a cross-sectoral framework aiming to harness the benefits of digital twins in both the manufacturing and built environment sectors. The Apollo Forum, as proposed, will be instrumental in formalising communication between these sectors, ensuring that digital twins developed in isolation today can seamlessly integrate tomorrow.

 

Digitisation for construction product manufacturers

Furthermore, our guide on "Digitisation for construction product manufacturers" offers a plain language insight into how manufacturers can structure and share data safely and sustainably. In an era where data is the new oil, ensuring its structured, consistent, and safe dissemination is paramount, especially in the construction industry.

 

Now, we seek your insights to enrich this dialogue further. And I would like to suggest those that have the expertise to delve into the consultation and address the key questions:

 

People

  • What are the most important issues the taskforce should seek to address regarding the needs and preferences of the ageing population?
  • Do you have specific recommendations for the taskforce to consider in this context?

Products

  • In terms of housing products and technologies, what are the primary concerns the taskforce should address?
  • Do you have innovative solutions or recommendations for the taskforce in this domain?

Places

  • How can we ensure that the local environments and communities are designed to support healthy ageing?
  • What specific recommendations would you suggest for the taskforce in this regard?

 

As part of the engineering community, our insights, innovative perspectives, and technical expertise can significantly shape the future of housing solutions for the ageing population. I would once again like to encourage everyone who can contribute to participating in the "Older People's Housing Taskforce - Call for Evidence" consultation. Together, we can help create housing policies and frameworks that are inclusive, sustainable, and truly beneficial for our elderly community. If you prefer, you may also share your responses privately with me at nmoreira@theiet.org.

 

Now, more than ever, your voice matters. Let's ensure it resonates in the corridors of healthy housing and urban development policymaking for a more inclusive future for our ageing population.

Parents
  • Nury Moreira said:
    the taskforce will primarily concentrate on specialised and supported housing solutions, specially tailored for middle-income elderly individuals


    So what is that type of housing? Is it McCarthy Stone type retirement complexes?

    www.mccarthyandstone.co.uk

    What income do middle-income elderly individuals have? Is is the joint household income for a couple or the income for an individual living alone?

    https://ifs.org.uk/tools_and_resources/where_do_you_fit_in#tool-results-section

    I am not seeing the purpose and objectives of this study.

  • in reply to Sparkingchip

    Well that link you provided suggests that the typical after tax income of someone in work is around £600 per week. I suspect for those retired however it will drop to a lot less - I reckon that could be between a quarter and a third of that 'at work' income, that sort of less -at least based on my own pension forecasts - and I will reach state retirement age in about a decade, 

    The problem is as alluded, the income is not there for those that probably need it most.

    Based on my own aging parents who are not exactly afraid of technology, the big stuff is things like getting up and down stairs, downstairs toilets, chairs you can get out of without help etc, not the glamorous hi tech at all, however these are the real issues to be addressed, then not being able to see or hear as well as before, so nothing less than about 18 point text is any good.

    And something like an Alexa is no use at all until you can say ' make my lunch for me please, and then fetch the tablets off the sideboard, or they may be in the kitchen - but you know-   the red ones, and where the blazes are my reading glasses?' and get the same service as a real human would provide. Could an alexa be programmed to follow and translate or better to act on post-stroke speech perhaps? That would be quite hard, given that folk who are not friends and family - and so usually recognize what is being said, struggle,

    For some folk the whole day expands to be filled with domestic things like getting food ready, washing up, washing laundry, and as Andy has already alluded, the whole bath time regime.  There are a whole load of folk living with bad knees, bad eyesight and various aches and pains and fading memory issues that mean that the  low tech 'normal stuff' is very slow  That is where the help is needed.

    Mike

    .

    Mike

Reply
  • in reply to Sparkingchip

    Well that link you provided suggests that the typical after tax income of someone in work is around £600 per week. I suspect for those retired however it will drop to a lot less - I reckon that could be between a quarter and a third of that 'at work' income, that sort of less -at least based on my own pension forecasts - and I will reach state retirement age in about a decade, 

    The problem is as alluded, the income is not there for those that probably need it most.

    Based on my own aging parents who are not exactly afraid of technology, the big stuff is things like getting up and down stairs, downstairs toilets, chairs you can get out of without help etc, not the glamorous hi tech at all, however these are the real issues to be addressed, then not being able to see or hear as well as before, so nothing less than about 18 point text is any good.

    And something like an Alexa is no use at all until you can say ' make my lunch for me please, and then fetch the tablets off the sideboard, or they may be in the kitchen - but you know-   the red ones, and where the blazes are my reading glasses?' and get the same service as a real human would provide. Could an alexa be programmed to follow and translate or better to act on post-stroke speech perhaps? That would be quite hard, given that folk who are not friends and family - and so usually recognize what is being said, struggle,

    For some folk the whole day expands to be filled with domestic things like getting food ready, washing up, washing laundry, and as Andy has already alluded, the whole bath time regime.  There are a whole load of folk living with bad knees, bad eyesight and various aches and pains and fading memory issues that mean that the  low tech 'normal stuff' is very slow  That is where the help is needed.

    Mike

    .

    Mike

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