Policy Hub
On 19 November 2009, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) published a report which seeks to investigate the development of social well-being for older people moving into new-build extra care housing schemes.
The report notes that there is increasing interest in extra care schemes for older people as a way for them to live independently while receiving care and support as well as providing residents with more opportunities for social interaction. Extra care has the potential to promote social well-being, but the evidence base, although growing, is still somewhat limited.
The report, which examines how social well-being developed in 15 new-build housing schemes, reveals that communal facilities and a diverse range of organised activities need to be available as soon as schemes open as they help occupants interact. Residents engaged in running social activities find it gives them ownership of their social lives, supports their independence and encourages others to join in.
The development of social well-being in new extra care housing schemes (PDF)