One in every eight residents in housing providing care have witnessed discrimination from other residents, according to new research. Dr Paul Willis, Lead Researcher on the Diversity in Care Environments (DICE) project and Associate Professor at the University of Bristol, explains.
Our recently released report from the University of Bristol and International Longevity Centre-UK (ILC) finds that while most older people in housing with care feel valued and included, social isolation and discrimination remain a part of everyday life for some residents, especially those from social minorities.
The report, based on a survey of residents and interviews with residents, staff members and housing experts across England and Wales, finds that older people living in housing schemes that provide onsite care and support, including extra-care housing and supported living, are less lonely than if they were living in the wider community.
This is despite Covid-19 lockdowns restricting interactions between residents, staff and visitors. Most residents taking part in these interviews as part of the DICE study also said they felt valued and included in their living environment.
But this wasn’t the case for all residents, as the majority of the residents from social minority groups interviewed in this study, including people with disabilities, people identifying as LGBT+, and people from ethnic minorities, said they had experienced or anticipated discrimination within their scheme. This included overhearing homophobic or racist comments from other residents or being excluded from certain areas or activities because of a lack of accessibility.
According to the survey, this discrimination is far more common from other residents than staff; one in every eight residents surveyed reported seeing discrimination from other residents, which was more than twice as many as the proportion reporting discrimination from staff.
The report also identifies some of the ways in which this isolation and discrimination can be countered in housing with care schemes, including on-site staff presence, inclusion with the local area, listening to the views of residents and adequate government funding.
With an ageing population and a growing number of people living with chronic health conditions, providing safe, supportive and inclusive housing options in which to grow old is becoming more important than ever.
We need to break the ageist stereotypes of older people in retirement communities as vulnerable and passive recipients of services. Their views matter and have given us vital insight into what inclusive neighbourhoods look like and housing providers should tap into this rich resource by involving residents in the design of their schemes and services.
Our research made clear the vital role played by scheme staff in promoting social inclusion and combatting discrimination through their ability to develop relationships with residents. But providers need to ensure there’s the consistent presence of onsite staff needed to build this connection.
Older people also need to have the choice to move into a housing option that’s right for their needs and aspirations, and where the identities that are important to them are reflected amongst other residents and staff. This is especially important for older people from social minorities. For this, we need the government to splash the cash to encourage the creation of more age-friendly housing schemes as well as the improvement of existing schemes.
The DICE project team have also released a series of podcasts that capture the diverse voices of current residents in housing with care schemes and a new learning resource targeted at housing staff and managers to help raise awareness of social diversity and inequalities amongst residents. These new resources are hosted on the Housing LIN website, a key collaborator in the DICE study.
The DICE study was a three year-study, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and hosted by the School for Policy Studies at the University of Bristol in collaboration with ILC-UK and The Housing Learning and Improvement Network (Housing LIN).
