Poor housing conditions have serious impact on older people’s health

As Ireland’s population ages, the issue of older people’s housing has never been more important.

Older people are more likely than other groups to live in poor housing. They are also particularly affected by poor housing conditions as they often spend more time at home and therefore face greater exposure to hazards such as falls or being affected by the cold.

In this context, a group of researchers investigated the link between common housing conditions and hazards and the health and wellbeing of older people.

The project was funded by The Meath Foundation and involved a team from Tallaght University Hospital (TUH), Age Friendly Ireland, TrinityHaus, and Building Research Establishment who partnered with a range of organisations including The Housing Agency, Age Action, South Dublin County Council, Meath County Council, and the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design at the National Disability Authority.

Their report, Housing Conditions and Integrated Care for Older People, was recently launched by The Housing Agency.

The research highlighted three main topics:

• the serious implications that poor housing conditions have for older people in Ireland, the consequences for health and wellbeing outcomes, and the impact this has on the integrated care for older people;
• the urgent need for better housing data, national housing condition surveys and centralised data platforms; and
• the need to support and expand integrated approaches to housing and the care of older people by bringing together key partners including hospitals, the Integrated Care Programme for Older People, local authorities and the Healthy Age Friendly Homes Programme.

The researchers worked closely with the Integrated Care Team at Tallaght University Hospital and held focus groups, conducted expert interviews and gathered case studies.

The hazards facing older people ranged from excessive cold, damp and mould growth to lack of ground floor bathrooms and the risk of falls on stairs or steps.

Despite the importance of housing-related data, and a relatively high volume of data being gathered by a range of Irish organisations, the researchers found there is no centralised database that collates key data on the condition of Irish housing stock. They say there is a clear need for a housing conditions survey of the housing stock in Ireland at least every five years. In advance of any large-scale nationwide survey, they recommend a pilot project involving 1,000 homes across a variety of locations.

Read the full report:
www.housingagency.ie/publications