Home truths

Housing services and support for people with dementia

Two thirds of people with dementia live in the community and people with dementia and their carers place great importance on their homes. However, Alzheimer's Society's Home truths found experiences of housing and housing services are mixed and more needs to be done to link housing with health and social care services.

Home truths

In June 2012 Alzheimer's Society published our Home truths report on housing and housing services for people with dementia and their carers. Home truths builds on the Society's Support. Stay. Save. report and was informed by focus groups and interviews with people with dementia and carers and a review of housing policy and evidence. Its key findings were:

• More needed to be done to link housing with health and social care services
• Many people with dementia and carers wanted to be supported in their current homes, but others preferred the option of housing with care where care is available on site. While not suitable for everyone, Home truths states housing with care can potentially fill a gap between mainstream homes and care homes for some people with dementia
  
• There are mixed experiences of accessing information and advice on housing and housing options, and strong support for access to funding and support to make adaptations to the home
• More needed to be done to ensure homes were designed and built with the needs of people with dementia in mind.

Download a copy of the Home truths report

Recommendations

Home truths makes four recommendations around housing and housing services for people with dementia.

1. Local authorities, homebuilders and governments should recognise that appropriate housing services and support are key mechanisms for effective support of people with dementia in the community.
   
2. There should be a choice in housing options and tenures available to people with dementia, including mainstream and specialist housing.
   
3. People with dementia, their families and carers should have access to information and advice on housing options, handyperson services and sources of funding for adaptations and alterations.
   
4. People with dementia should have access to homes designed with their needs in mind.The report was informed by interviews and focus groups with people with dementia and carers and a review of existing policy and evidence on housing and dementia.

Dementia friendly communities

Alzheimer's Society believes housing service providers can play a key role supporting the development of dementia friendly communities. We know many housing service providers are already engaged in supporting people with dementia in their own homes in the community. For more information about dementia friendly communities please see our dementia friendly communities page or email dementiafriendlycommunities@alzheimers.org.uk.