Care homes of the future could see technology take a leading role in the delivery of care

The UK is struggling to cope with the demands of a rapidly ageing population with increasingly complex needs. This is exacerbated by a lack of suitable, adapted homes for them to live in.

However by harnessing assistive technology and creating sustainable living environments, care homes will be able to adapt to the ever changing needs of the UK's ageing population.

Not-for-profit, care provider Anchor recently produced a report, envisaging how residential care homes and villages may look in the future.

The report, ‘Silver Chic: The future of retirement housing and care’ contains two computer generated images that depict how care homes could look in fifty years time. The designs are complete with ambient monitoring walls, rotating gardens and virtual pets for residents, and are complete with the latest innovations and modern design features.

The designs produced as part of the Silver Chic housing report are the result of a workshop that saw policy experts, people from the housing sector, architects, designers and a CGI expert come together to discuss ideas around the themes of community, comfort, connectivity and physical and financial security.

'Quality retirement housing has the potential to help people live healthier and longer lives'

One of the housing designs featured in the report is on a turntable, offering the possibility of sunlight and shade at the owner's request. It is situated in a village connected by a series of bridges, offering a feeling of greater connectivity with the surrounding community and environment.

Inside, the house has defined zones for seamless living with pivot doors allowing space to be connected seamlessly. The well-being and fitness of residents were a key factor when designing the home, with special areas for a virtual yoga class as well as ambient monitoring, high speed internet access and a 3D hologram computer.

Furthermore, the design features covered winter gardens and parks, offering residents the opportunity to enjoy all-year-round activity, therefore encouraging older people to lead healthy lifestyles, be more active and engage with others.

Writing in the report, chief executive of Anchor, Jane Ashcroft said: “In as little as twenty years’ time, retirement will be very different. Many will live healthier lives for longer. More will need to manage multiple long-term conditions including, unless a cure is found, dementia.

“Technological progress means there will be a new range of services not possible today, although technology must augment rather than replace relationships. We will need new, innovative forms of retirement housing and care services to respond to these trends. Good-quality retirement housing - with additional care and support available flexibly when needed - has huge potential to help people live healthier and longer lives. But despite evidence of significant underlying demand among the generation about to retire, there is too little appealing retirement housing on the market.”

’Innovation can promote more active living’

While many care home providers are already embracing technology and introducing WiFi in their homes, encouraging residents to make use of technology, by hosting computer classes to helping residents to use Skype and FaceTime to communicate with their relatives, care homes still have a long way to go before they fully embrace digital advances.

Innovative design has the potential to not only encourage but support more active living, encouraging residents to get up and move around.

Care homes and extra care housing allow those living there to remain independent and be supported by caring and professional care staff. Housing that is designed to meet the changing needs of individuals can improve the health and well-being of those living there and allow them to maintain and build relationships with their family, friends and immediate community.

Developments in design has led to the creation of ambient monitoring technology that can intelligently monitor homes, alerts to remind people to turn off the oven and alerts to carers in the event of a fall, and even monitoring if someone has taken their medication or reminding them to take it using a speech prompt from a familiar voice. While voice recognition technology could help trigger automatic tasks, such as opening windows and closing curtains, making life easier for people with impaired mobility.

’Technology must augment not replace relationships’

Wearable technology is already able to monitor measurements such as heart rates, steps and distance covered and it is hoped that it will soon be able to monitor respiratory rates and fluid retention and provide early indicators of potential heart conditions and reduce hospital admissions.

Robots such as Japanese designed, Paro have been developed to be used therapeutically with people living with dementia. In addition, researchers at Meijo University in Japan have created ‘Robear’, a robot designed to perform specific ‘care’ tasks, including lifting a person from their bed into a chair and helping someone to stand. Researchers at Aalborg University in Denmark created a robotic suit to help older people get up and move around without assistance to stand and walk, specifically support those with severe mobility problems caused by arthritis and Stroke.

Other advances in assistive technology include, telehealth, which could see people accessing health appointments and medical consultations online, through computers or tablets, without having to leave their care home. While Smart TV’s could see older people accessing Skype and other communication services aside from just watching television.

Director of housing operations at Anchor, Howard Nankivell, said “There are a number of very significant issues facing the retirement sector in the coming decades, including a rapidly ageing population and a lack of suitable retirement housing stock.

“As such, we will need new, innovative forms of retirement housing and care services to respond to these trends. In as little as twenty years’ time, retirement will be very different.

“Public funding for care services has already been hit and those pressures will intensify. Technological progress means there will be a new range of services not possible today, although technology must augment rather than replace relationships."

Mr Nankivell added: “As technology advances, so will usability - for example, voice activated commands will be important for older people who are using 3D hologram computers in the future. Anchor is pioneering the use of iPads in care settings and we know that having the right font sizes, brightness, longer idle times before screensavers appear etc. all make a difference for older people. The more technology advances the more user-friendly it becomes.”

In recent years, technology has led to many new opportunities to make better use of existing resources when building new care homes and care villages, as well as innovations in their design both externally and internally to improve well-being and care outcomes.

’Residents need to be able to draw on additional care and support when they need it’

Anchor’s Bishopstoke Park, in Hampshire, is a modern care village offering safety and security to older people, while offering them full independence and professional care and support if they require.

The state-of-the-art facility contains a mixture of care home beds and self-contained apartments, connected by wheelchair-friendly walkways, seating areas, and gardens complete with picnic areas, allotments and communal greenhouses.

Residents can benefit from sheltered and dedicated mobility scooter parks and designated charging points throughout the village, while those with limited mobility can use communal golf buggies to get around.

Ms Ashcroft added: “Innovative design can promote more active living, give people more choice and control over how they live, and facilitate the development of vibrant communities.

“Just as important will be how new designs interact with the care services of the future. Retirement housing needs to be designed in a way that enables residents to draw on additional care and support services as and when needed, rather than waiting until a point of crisis.”

View the full report here.

click here for more details or to contact Anchor