Future of an Ageing Population

4.4 Homes that support better health and care
Poor quality housing (for people of all ages) costs the NHS £2.5 billion a year: for
comparison, smoking costs £2.3-3.3 billion and alcohol £3.2 billion 82,112 . Older
people are disproportionately likely to live in poor quality housing or housing
in need of serious repair, particularly when they live in socially disadvantaged
areas 82,113 . Damp, lack of insulation, poor heating, unsafe stairs 112 , and low levels
of both artificial and natural light 114 can all affect mental and physical health.
A significant risk is from cold and damp homes, which are a major factor
contributing to England having 40,000 more winter deaths than would be
expected based on mortality rates during the remainder of the year 115 . Falls are
the other major health risk, costing the NHS upwards of £600 million a year 116 .
As well as putting them at greater risk of physical harm, poorly-designed or
maintained housing can increase an older person’s risk of loneliness. For
example, steep or poorly lit stairs significantly affect older people’s ability and
confidence in leaving the home.
The health-limiting effect of current housing stock provides a significant
potential challenge to homes becoming places of care. Future housing has the
potential to do far more than today’s. Smart home technology, for example,
can enable remote monitoring, turning the home into a place of healthcare.
This would provide users and carers with a greater degree of flexibility and
choice, freeing up hospital beds. Other potential benefits include healthcare
professionals providing treatment or advice in the home, lowering the
frequency of costly emergency visits and unnecessary hospitalisation. This
could also lower the need for routine diagnosis and monitoring to be done in
person, potentially reducing the cost of healthcare. Although predicting the
nature and impact of future technologies is challenging and there is uncertainty
about their current cost-effectiveness (see Chapter 6), there is significant
potential for future savings in health spending. 117
Policy Implication
Homes have great potential as places of healthcare. This could reduce
demand on health and care services, but will require homes that support
new technologies and are safe, accessible and adaptable.
P58