Abstract

This project is a scoping study supported by the Research Investment Fund 2013, University of Lincoln. This research aims to develop a holistic approach to decision making that facilitates ‘wellbeing’ of the elderly in future housing prototypes in Lincolnshire. Central to this understanding is how several systems work together, such as changing care models and ways of delivery, demands by changing demographics of family types, emphasis on preventive medicine and delay of morbidity and life expectancy, and wellbeing variables of the elderly related to activities, functional ability, personal beliefs and attitudes, home and personal finances (Jackson 2011, Gallaway 2005), and social networks that build social capital (Paranagamage 2010). It is accepted that to enable this, local services such as housing, health, social care, leisure, transport and education etc would need to be integrated to work as a whole system facilitating independent living balanced by needs for interdependence with family, community and neighbourhood. Strategies to promote independent living need to be underpinned by requirements for maximising resources and empowering older people to remain physically as well as economically active; and providing housing in a way that promotes social inclusion and wellbeing (Byrd 2009).
The decision support tool would model the interaction of the range of systems that impinge on one another to recommend pathways for the conceptualization of elderly housing. This would enable all stakeholders concerned with the provision of housing for older adults in the public and private sector, to holistically envision elderly housing both now and in the future. The research will proceed to bridge the gap in its translation to a conceptual prototype of housing. The research will also validate and refine the tool and prototype by working with local housing associations and Age UK involved in the delivery of elderly housing in Lincolnshire. The objectives are 1) to create a decision support tool 2) to develop a conceptual model for housing prototypes 3) work with local housing associations and Age UK to pilot the transition of the conceptual model to design 4) develop feedback mechanisms to validate and monitor work stages