Julia Park - Age-friendly Housing

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Getting old remains a conundrum. None of us wants to die but few of us look forward to being old. This opening chapter provides a context for addressing the challenge of how we can continue to live well as we live longer. Having set out the scale of the challenge, it looks at some perceptions of ageing, and the physical and cognitive effects of getting older, as a useful starting point for design.

A brief history of housing for older people reminds us that progress has been painfully slow. For centuries, older people with limited means relied on almshouses when they could no longer manage alone. Real change began about a hundred years ago, and more recently, the HAPPI project made its mark, pointing out that opportunity is often the corollary to challenge. The concept of inclusive design is discussed, followed by a brief overview of recent government policy.

Across the world, demography is changing. The most significant factors are lower birth rates and longer lifespans. The average household size in England is now only 2.3 people, compared with 4.8 at the start of the 20th century.

Current average life expectancy in the UK is 83 for women and 79 for men. In 1901 it was 49 and 45 respectively. Much has been made of this in the media and we see it for ourselves, but as a society, and as a profession, we have been slow to react, particularly in terms of planning for the implications for housing, health and social care.

Current average life expectancy in the UK is 83 for women and 79 for men. In 1901 it was 49 and 45 respectively.