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Care and Support

Care and support are vital in assisting older people feeling lonely to reconnect and move toward independent living. Types of care and support that are available can provide crucial one-to-one social contact, provide group support where it is possible to meet and connect with others that feel loneliness and to remove the stigma associated with opening up about it, as well as community-based care and support services such as befriending, social group schemes and community navigators.

The resources on this page contain information on the ways that care and support help individuals feel empowered to reach out to others, the types of care and support that are shown to be most impactful, as well as guidelines and identification of best practice, along with sharing of innovative strategies to providing support.

Housing schemes for older people helping to alleviate loneliness

In this new Housing LIN guest blog, Paul Willis and Brian Beach from the Diversity In Care Environments (DICE) Team reflect on the findings from a three-year study into the ways in which housing with care and support schemes support the inclusion of older residents from different social groups and backgrounds.

Isolation & Loneliness: How are people aged 55 and over coping in the ongoing pandemic?

At the start of 2021, Central & Cecil (C&C) published findings of research by over 200 C&C residents to seek their attitudes towards isolation and loneliness. A year on, they have returned to the same theme finding out if residents have become ‘used’ to the presence of Coivd-19.

Understanding befriending: A study of befriending schemes for older people

This report evaluates the grants made in support of befriending services, particularly since this method of delivery has increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Better lives for older people

This report by Octavia Housing and New Philanthropy Capital explores the existing evidence around loneliness and isolation amongst older people.

Re-engage and Anchor Hanover join forces to tackle the crisis of 'lockdown loneliness' in older people

This blog gives an overview of Anchor Hanover's partnership with the charity Re-engage and how this enabled them to reengineer their BeSupportive volunteering programme to provide a companionship call programme to address the loneliness and isolation felt by residents during the pandemic.

Isolation and loneliness among over 55s during Covid-19

A study of 250 Central & Cecil (C&C) residents out today finds 12% experience feelings of loneliness/isolation on a daily/weekly basis – higher than other recent studies. The C&C report found that speaking with family and friends, taking up a new hobby/activity and regular walks seen as best coping mechanisms to manage feelings.

Loneliness and isolation: what has been the real impact of Covid-19 on the over-55s?

In this Housing LIN guest blog, Julia Ashley - C&C’s chief executive - talks about the key findings from her organisation’s research which surveyed how their residents coped with loneliness and isolation last year. The resultant report highlights the findings from their study which reveal a market increase in the number of residents experiencing loneliness and isolation since the onset of the pandemic, with 1 in 8 now experiencing these feelings daily or weekly. You can also access an accompanying YouTube video with residents explaining their situation.

Talking about “the dark stuff”: opening up about bereavement in extra care housing

In our latest Housing LIN blog Caity Roleston explores how bereavement support can be provided in extra care housing.

ULI Later Living: Housing with care guide

With a contribution by the Housing LIN, this new guide published by The Urban Land Institute sets out examples of innovative practice within the emerging later living sector for funders, developers, architects, and operators.

Good health brought home: What makes a good partnership between housing, health and social care?

This report by CIH Cymru’ and CACHE focusses on what makes a good partnership between health, housing and social care.

Healthier and Happier - An analysis of the fiscal and wellbeing benefits of building more homes for later living

This report explores the wellbeing benefits of living in properties for later living and the significant fiscal savings they can deliver to the NHS and social care system.

Elderly & end of life care for Muslims in the UK

This report from the Muslim Council of Britain and the University of Cambridge seeks to bring together in one document many different aspects relating to older people and end of life care, with an emphasis on facts and evidence.

Tackling social exclusion at Grand Union Housing Group

Jan Davies of Grand Union Housing writes about how digital technology can tackle social exclusion.

Exploring how to develop effective services to reduce loneliness

This Housing LIN Viewpoint 96 explores best practice in developing effective services to reduce loneliness and provides six top tips for setting up new services.

Integrated Homes, Care And Support: Measurable Outcomes for Healthy Ageing

A new report from ExtraCare Charitable Trust shows older people benefit from improved physical and mental health in retirement communities, resulting in cost savings to the NHS.

Sheltered Housing - Sylvia's Story

Sheltered Housing tenants need to have their voices heard writes Housing LIN's Clare Skidmore.

Driving a new agenda for change in Housing for Older People: Lessons from Longbridge

The Housing LIN's Strategic Lead, Clare Skidmore, presents her thoughts on Longbridge ExtraCare retirement village in relation to the CLG Select Committee’s ‘Housing for Older People' inquiry.

Robotics in Social Care: A Connected Care EcoSystem for Independent Living

In this white paper, the UK-RAS Network looks at the emerging crisis in UK social care and presents their vision for creating a connected care ecosystem linking home, residential and hospital care as a continuum.

Inquiry into loneliness and isolation in Wales

A report looking into the extent and impact of loneliness and isolation of people in Wales, providing analysis and giving governmental recommendations.

Health and housing: building the evidence base

This Housing LIN Report concludes that housing and related services can promote integrated care, save the NHS money and improve the patient experience.

The Welsh national outcomes framework for people who need care and support and carers who need support

This document from the Welsh Government sets out the social services national outcomes framework. It has been developed to fulfil a requirement in the Social Services and Wellbeing Act (Wales) 2014...

Growing Older Together: An Overview of Collaborative Forms of Housing for Older People

This Housing LIN Case Study Report shows how collaborative models of service delivery for older people are now being widely adopted in the heath and care sectors and suggests that housing could do more...

Older people and alcohol misuse: Helping people stay in their homes

This Housing LIN Practice Briefing is for people working in housing, public health, care and support. Recognising a gap in information on this topic, Public Health England commissioned the Housing LIN...

NICE guidelines: Older people with social care needs and multiple long-term conditions

These latest guidelines from NICE emphasize the importance of empowering older people and their carers to choose and manage their own support. It makes recommendations about: identifying and assessing...

Supported housing: Understanding need and supply

This report highlights the growing shortfall in supported housing places, examines the causes, and highlights potential solutions. It estimates that there are 109,556 available places in supported housing...

The LiveWell Journey: Transforming South Yorkshire Housing Association's Care and Support Business

This Housing LIN Case Study no 108 provides insight into the critical success factors that have led South Yorkshire's Housing Association (SYHA), outlining the practical steps they have taken to reshape...

Japan: Where grassroots support initiatives are growing in empty houses

Housing LIN Case Study no 105. Japan has the fastest ageing society where a significant 25% are now aged 65-plus, that means 1 in 4 of its 127 million population. Within a decade, it is envisaged that...

Transforming care pathways for people with dementia - Linking housing, health and social care

This briefing by NHF, produced in partnership with HACT, highlights the role housing associations can play in transforming dementia care pathways. It aims to encourage health and social care commissioners...

Best practice in social care and support for adults with concurrent sight loss and dementia within different housing settings

A new report by the University of York for the National Institute for Health Research aims to further knowledge on how best to provide care and support to people living with sight loss and dementia in...

Inside out and upside down: Community based approaches to social care prevention in a time of austerity

This report showcases six councils that have developed their approaches to asset based community development in a climate of austerity. The report draws out some of the themes that are emerging from...

Better care, better lives: A personal perspective on integrating housing, care and health

Written by Hannah Miller, recently retired as Executive Director of Adult Services, Health and Housing at LB Croydon, and currently working with the Department of Health National Helping People Home...

Going Home Alone: Counting the cost to older people and the NHS

Older people returning home from hospital without enough support are more than twice as likely to be readmitted within three months, according the Royal Voluntary Service. The findings reveal that in...

New approaches to housing for older people - Supporting organisations to pioneer new ways of working and review current and emerging practice

This new briefing from CIH and the Housing LIN looks at how models of bespoke housing for older people (often termed sheltered or retirement housing) could be developed in the future that: Enable increasing...

Community Services: how they can transform care

This King's Fund report argues that significant changes to community services are needed to realise the ambition of moving more care out of hospital and closer to people's homes. Taking a fresh look...

Bringing care home: promoting independence through integrated working

The way care and support is delivered at home makes a real difference to the ability of older people and those with complex needs to lead independent lives, whatever their housing setting. These short...

Loneliness resource pack

A set of resources to help individuals, groups, communities and neighbourhoods take a closer look at - and to reduce - loneliness.

The Business Case for Extra Care Housing in Adult Social Care: An Evaluation of Extra Care Housing schemes in East Sussex

This Housing LIN Case Study no 78 provides a synthesis of the detailed evaluation of extra care housing schemes undertaken by East Sussex County Council to inform future decisions related to financial...

Dorset County Council Mental Health Housing and Support Strategy for 2013 - 2016

The purpose of this strategy is to set out how Dorset County Council in conjunction with its key partners and stakeholders can improve existing, and commission new or remodelled housing and support services...