Understanding attitudes and perceptions amongst older people of specialist housing in an era of rising demand
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Sheffield
Department Name: Urban Studies and Planning
Abstract
This project will investigate the reasons for differential take-up of specialist retirement housing amongst different
groups in one city. It will seek to uncover the decision-making processes and attitudes of a range of older people,
including those who are under-represented in this type of accommodation.
Sheffield will be used as a case study due to its variety of housing sub-markets and communities. Sheffield City Council
manages a wide variety of specialist housing stock and partners with housing associations and private providers, enabling
a full analysis of a range of schemes across a variety of market areas. Sheffield City Council has a range of relevant
data, including on letting and allocations, enabling analysis of demand for different housing schemes. This work builds on
the recently-completed DWELL Project investigating design of housing for older people in partnership with Sheffield City
Council. The supervisory team has extensive experience of research into older persons' housing, including expertise in
planning for housing (Tait) and housing management (Robinson). This is combined with an external supervisor (Dan
Green), with extensive experience of local authority housing strategy, and the input of a specialist advisory team (HCA,
Hanover Housing) enabling cross checking of results with other parts of the UK. The project fits at the intersection of both
the Cities, Environment and Liveability pathway, with its focus on housing and policy, and Wellbeing, Health and
Communities, with its focus on understanding the impact of an ageing society on places and institutions.
groups in one city. It will seek to uncover the decision-making processes and attitudes of a range of older people,
including those who are under-represented in this type of accommodation.
Sheffield will be used as a case study due to its variety of housing sub-markets and communities. Sheffield City Council
manages a wide variety of specialist housing stock and partners with housing associations and private providers, enabling
a full analysis of a range of schemes across a variety of market areas. Sheffield City Council has a range of relevant
data, including on letting and allocations, enabling analysis of demand for different housing schemes. This work builds on
the recently-completed DWELL Project investigating design of housing for older people in partnership with Sheffield City
Council. The supervisory team has extensive experience of research into older persons' housing, including expertise in
planning for housing (Tait) and housing management (Robinson). This is combined with an external supervisor (Dan
Green), with extensive experience of local authority housing strategy, and the input of a specialist advisory team (HCA,
Hanover Housing) enabling cross checking of results with other parts of the UK. The project fits at the intersection of both
the Cities, Environment and Liveability pathway, with its focus on housing and policy, and Wellbeing, Health and
Communities, with its focus on understanding the impact of an ageing society on places and institutions.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Malcolm Tait (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Helen Brown (Student) |
| Description | Guidance for rightsizing campaign |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | Guidance influenced a campaign and publication aimed at enabling older people to consider their housing needs in later life. |
| Description | Influence on housing for older people policy at a local level |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | The OPIL Strategy informs the delivery of housing for older people in Sheffield and therefore has the potential to impact the quality of life of older people in the city by informing this provision. |
| Description | Bursary for attending a conference |
| Amount | £100 (GBP) |
| Organisation | British Society of Gerontology |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2021 |
| End | 07/2021 |
| Description | Bursary to attend Housing Studies Association conference 2021 |
| Amount | £75 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Housing Studies Association |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2021 |
| End | 11/2021 |
| Description | 'One size does not fit all' Older people's housing conference and exhibition, CIH Cymru |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Invited to deliver conference paper about my research project at the CIH Cymru event in Swansea. The attendants were mostly housing and health practitioners in the region of 80 people attended the event |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | A Home for Life? Conference paper delivered at the Housing Studies Association conference 2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Conference paper presented at the Housing Studies Association conference - online - sharing early research findings from my study. Received positive feedback from the audience and made a number of useful connections with fellow researchers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | CIH Blog: Haven or Hell? A critical debate of the implications of ageing in place. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | http://www.cih.org/news-article/display/vpathDCR/templatedata/cih/news-article/data/Haven_or_Hell_A_critical_debate_on_the_implications_of_ageing-in-place Health, housing and social care services assume that older people prefer to age-in-place. While this may be true for many individuals, we shouldn't assume it's always the best option for all older people, as occupational therapist Helen Brown of Sheffield University explains. Blog published by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH): sparked considerable discussion over social media , especially Twitter. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Conference Presentation RCOT - SS Housing conference 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Royal College of Occupational Therapists - Specialist Section Housing conference 2021 Conference presentation around preliminary findings from research study. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Conference paper delivered at the British Society of Gerontologists annual conference 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Delivered a conference presentation discussing some preliminary research findings from my study entitled: A home for life? Understanding liminal space as a place to 'just be' in later life. The paper received a number of positive comments and generated an interesting debate. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Conference paper delivered at the Housing Studies Association conference 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Conference Presentation at the Housing Studies Association conference 2021 about an early research finding. A home for life? Utilising visual methods to better understand perceptions of home and neighbourhood in later life. Generated an interesting discussion amongst the audience and several questions posed about the paper. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Doctoral Times - internal University of Sheffield magazine for research students |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Article submitted and accepted in the Doctoral Times entitled: "Writing a peer review of an article for a journal" Reflections on undertaking a peer review of an article for a journal. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Housing LIN Guest Blog 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Blog for Housing LIN - engagement from interested parties on social media, sparking some discussions and questions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.housinglin.org.uk/blogs/A-home-for-life-Understanding-liminal-space-as-a-place-to-just-b... |
| Description | Pop-up University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A new, free festival bringing groundbreaking research from the University of Sheffield to the public will be held this weekend at the Millennium Galleries (20-22 September 2019).Pop-Up University. Showcasing pioneering research covering everything from healthcare, technology and sustainability, to culture, history, music and art, the Pop-Up University will be open to people of all ages. Building on the success of the University of Sheffield's Mobile University from the makers of the Festival of the Mind, Pop-Up University will feature a series of immersive, family-friendly exhibitions, as well as talks from researchers about the issues that impact everyday life. A 20 minute presentation open to the general public about the research project entitled: "A home for life? Understanding the housing aspirations of older homeowners" There were approximately 20 attendees who were encouraged to ask questions and discuss issues important to them relating to the study. Three people requested to participate in the study but were not in the specified research area. Two participants who were in the study attended the presentation and could see the knowledge they shared was being put to further use. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Presentation at the British Society of Gerontologists Early Career Researchers conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Delivered a conference presentation at the BSG Early Researchers conference about early findings from my study. A home for life? Understanding housing aspirations of older homeowners |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | RCOT Conference 2022 - |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 200 delegates attended the session at the RCOT Conference 2022. My paper was entitled: 'Housing must be the foundation if we are going to 'Build Back Better.' 20 minute presentation followed by a lively discussion about where Housing fits in Occupational Therapy practice. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Researching in a Global Pandemic - conference paper |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | University of Derby COLLEGE OF HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGY & SOCIAL CARE RESEARCH SHOWCASE EVENT 24th NOVEMBER 2021 Conference paper delivered about Researching in a Global Pandemic |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Sheffield City Council Tenant Conference and Exhibition |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Delivered a workshop to 8 participants around ageing and housing, debate during and after workshop was interesting and shaped some views going forward. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |