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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

  • As one of the elderly who has spent most of my working life working with technology in one form for or another  (I wrote my first computer program in 1968) I feel qualified to offer some comments.Sorry if they appear a bit disjointed and apparently off topic  but the problem is so wide reaching I would otherwise have to write an essay on it. 

    While technology may provide some solutions I do not believe it is the answer. 

    Firstly is any technological solution going to be available 24 hours per day 365 days a year. I have had two different 12 hr power cuts in the last 12 months and a day with no water supply. The Google box decided it would not respond having worked for a few months, turning it off and on did nothing. Leaving it off for a week incentivised it to work when turned back on. Given the number of relatively  new electronic devices I have repaired/scrapped over the last few years I have little faith in 

    My wife has various issues which make a bungalow a necessity and fortunately we already have one. However it is quite large with nearly an acre of garden so downsizing would be a good idea but bungalows are at a premium. As we live in a small village of 250 homes there are not a lot of bungalows and none for sale so we would need to move away to downsize so loosing touch with local friends and activities.

    Locally (at parish level) we have done a housing needs survey which identified a need for two bungalows but the local planning department have dictated that the only brown field site in the village cannot have market value housing on it  as it is in green belt and is more than 10 minutes walk from the local service centre (Large village with shops). So the site has to be developed for affordable housing, they have already given planning permission for approx 100 affordable houses within the parish (closer to the service centre) but no bungalows. (it is about 15 minutes from the shops in the service centre) So despite a need for bungalows they will only allow one and two bedroom affordable two story flats/houses to be built despite no local need.

    I have had relatives buy into retirement home complexes but they are very restrictive, expensive and difficult to sell when the inevitable happens and do not suit everyone.

    Then there is affordability, the housing needs survey mentioned above also identified that affordable houses are not affordable to someone on an average wage, never mind a pensioner who's private pension was decimated by the changes to tax on pension funds and the subsequent withdrawal of many players from the industry. With none of the pensions keeping up with Council tax, utility bills, insurance, etc increases everything becomes less affordable

    WhIle I may appear a one off I know many in similar circumstances. Two friends had their company pensions taken over by the Pension Protection fund following the demise of Carrillion and they do not get all the benefits they were originally entitled to. Others had their pensions transferred to zombie companies. 

    When coupled with the responses from Sparkingchip and Mike I feel that the answer is not technology but a much wider social problem where we are seen as a problem to be pushed aside when most of us have contributed  over 30% of our annual income to the state each year for nearly  50 years and we are now seen as a burden. 

    I should add I am not on the breadline yet having reasonable assets but I am not sure I will be passing much on to my children.

    Kevin 

Reply

  • As one of the elderly who has spent most of my working life working with technology in one form for or another  (I wrote my first computer program in 1968) I feel qualified to offer some comments.Sorry if they appear a bit disjointed and apparently off topic  but the problem is so wide reaching I would otherwise have to write an essay on it. 

    While technology may provide some solutions I do not believe it is the answer. 

    Firstly is any technological solution going to be available 24 hours per day 365 days a year. I have had two different 12 hr power cuts in the last 12 months and a day with no water supply. The Google box decided it would not respond having worked for a few months, turning it off and on did nothing. Leaving it off for a week incentivised it to work when turned back on. Given the number of relatively  new electronic devices I have repaired/scrapped over the last few years I have little faith in 

    My wife has various issues which make a bungalow a necessity and fortunately we already have one. However it is quite large with nearly an acre of garden so downsizing would be a good idea but bungalows are at a premium. As we live in a small village of 250 homes there are not a lot of bungalows and none for sale so we would need to move away to downsize so loosing touch with local friends and activities.

    Locally (at parish level) we have done a housing needs survey which identified a need for two bungalows but the local planning department have dictated that the only brown field site in the village cannot have market value housing on it  as it is in green belt and is more than 10 minutes walk from the local service centre (Large village with shops). So the site has to be developed for affordable housing, they have already given planning permission for approx 100 affordable houses within the parish (closer to the service centre) but no bungalows. (it is about 15 minutes from the shops in the service centre) So despite a need for bungalows they will only allow one and two bedroom affordable two story flats/houses to be built despite no local need.

    I have had relatives buy into retirement home complexes but they are very restrictive, expensive and difficult to sell when the inevitable happens and do not suit everyone.

    Then there is affordability, the housing needs survey mentioned above also identified that affordable houses are not affordable to someone on an average wage, never mind a pensioner who's private pension was decimated by the changes to tax on pension funds and the subsequent withdrawal of many players from the industry. With none of the pensions keeping up with Council tax, utility bills, insurance, etc increases everything becomes less affordable

    WhIle I may appear a one off I know many in similar circumstances. Two friends had their company pensions taken over by the Pension Protection fund following the demise of Carrillion and they do not get all the benefits they were originally entitled to. Others had their pensions transferred to zombie companies. 

    When coupled with the responses from Sparkingchip and Mike I feel that the answer is not technology but a much wider social problem where we are seen as a problem to be pushed aside when most of us have contributed  over 30% of our annual income to the state each year for nearly  50 years and we are now seen as a burden. 

    I should add I am not on the breadline yet having reasonable assets but I am not sure I will be passing much on to my children.

    Kevin 

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