The Development of Social Well-being in New Extra Care Housing Schemes

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Extra care schemes help older people remain independent. But they also aim to provide social opportunities that prevent residents feeling isolated.

This research (conducted in the United Kingdom), which examined how social well-being developed in 15 new-build housing schemes, revealed the following:

* Communal facilities and a diverse range of organised activities need to be available when schemes open as they help residents interact
* Residents involved in running social activities found it gave them ownership of their social lives, supported their independence and encouraged others to join in
* Adequate staff time and resources to support social activities are crucial at the start of a scheme but also over time as some residents become frailer

Table of Contents

Executive summary
1 Introduction
2 Social life at the schemes six months after opening
3 Villages and schemes at twelve months
4 Social well-being at twelve months
5 Discussion and conclusions
Notes
References
Appendix 1: The schemes – opening dates,sizes and tenure
Appendix 2: Facilities available in the schemes at six months
Appendix 3: The Sheltered Care Environment Scale (SCES)
Acknowledgements
About the authors
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