The State of Ageing 2023–24 Report by the Centre for Ageing Better, published today, provides stark statistics on the older population. None more so than one regarding their homes, where it states that 49% of non-decent homes are headed by someone aged 55 and over. Housing is a key component of people’s health and well-being, and almost half of older people in England are living in substandard accommodation that is unsafe. It is important to quality of life and life expectancy that this situation is improved. Retrofitting these homes with improved insulation, fitting an efficient low-carbon heating system, and making accessibility improvements are just a few of the many ways the situation could be improved. This work is likely to cost less than the increased healthcare costs resulting from living in substandard properties. Once the investment in the housing stock is made, it will raise the standards of housing across England. This will benefit health and well-being more generally and also help reduce energy usage across the housing stock nationally. There needs to be a coordinated approach from housing and health to address this situation. This will not only improve the lives of older people but also provide a more efficient use of public funds. Housing can really help to improve health and well-being outcomes, and by combining good retrofit practises with accessibility improvements, existing stock can be considerably enhanced. #WWAStudios #architecture #urbandesign #townplanning #homes #ageingpopulation #financialsecurity #healthandwellbeing #work #society
We're delighted and proud to announce that our State of Ageing 2023-4 report is released today. This is the most detailed, most up-to-date, most wide-ranging report about ageing of its kind. We hope that the State of Ageing can be used as a snapshot of what it is like to get older in England. Using graphs, analysis and quotes from older people themselves, we provide an overview of the experiences of later life in this country. Explore our new landing page, featuring 7 different themed chapters here:
