Ageing in Place for Minority Ethnic Communities: The importance of social infrastructure

There is a lack of research into the experiences of social isolation for different minority ethnic older people living in the UK.

In response to this gap this study, carried out in August 2019, investigates the opportunities for building and maintaining social connections for older South Asians living in Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester, and Camden and older people of Greek Cypriot, Turkish and Kurdish heritage living in Hackney.

The research was conducted by Ambition for Ageing (AfA), the Ageing Better partnership in Greater Manchester.

Based on qualitative interviews with older people and a survey conducted with community and voluntary organisations working within these communities, the project has identified a number of important spaces of social infrastructure that must be supported and maintained if older people from these minority ethnic groups are to be able to age in place.