Housing Options

There are several options you may wish to consider if your home is no longer as suitable for you as it once was.

Be open to thinking about moving, but also look into services that might help you ‘stay put’ successfully. This section aims to talk you through the most common housing options that are available for older people.

If you are not sure where to start, you may wish to use our Housing Options for Older People (HOOP) tool. HOOP aims to help you identify your current housing-related issues and makes suggestions, based on local information, on how these can be improved. You can access HOOP here.

Help to stay at home

Many people choose to continue living in their home but look at ways in which it can be made more suitable to their current and future needs.There are reliable services that can help organise adaptations or repairs to your home. Additionally, aids and equipment, like community alarm systems can give you peace of mind and help you remain independent.

Housing for people with dementia

There are an increasing range of options for the accommodation and care of people who have dementia. Medical improvements and increased awareness means that more people are being diagnosed earlier, whilst they can make decisions for their future. This section looks at the options available, from adapting your home to moving into a retirement community with care services.

Retirement housing (sheltered)

Specialist housing for older people comes in all shapes and sizes, from a small group of age-exclusive bungalows to warden-assisted schemes to developments of hundreds of apartments with on-site care services. The process for finding accommodation in your area will likely vary depending on what type of housing you are searching for and whether you are looking to rent or buy. This section will talk you through the key types of retirement housing.

Other housing options

It can be difficult to plan ahead for needs that you may have in the future, but giving some thought as to whether or not a property will continue to be suitable, or is adaptable, can help you to remain as independent as possible, for as long as possible. There are a range of resources and guidance that can help you find a home that is suitable.