New research from the Centre for Ageing Better has found that the NHS could save nearly £600m annually by fixing dangerous homes where the head of the household is aged 55 or older
According to the Care Policy and Evaluation Centre, based at the London School of Economics and Political Science, formal care costs for older people could be reduced by £1.1bn a year by 2027 by eliminating the most serious risks in Britain’s poorest-quality homes.
Removing just three common health hazards from homes, bad condensation, excess cold, and rising dampness would lower social care costs considerably.
If the nation’s poor-quality housing crisis is resolved, there is potential for a further £3.5bn annual savings in unpaid care costs for older people.
People aged 55 and over account for more than half of the NHS’s annual first-year treatment costs
While people aged 55 and over live in around one in three of England’s most dangerous homes, they account for £595m or more than half of the NHS’s spending for injuries and illnesses caused by poor-quality housing.
The new analysis revealed that the significant health savings from home improvements mean the estimated £4.6bn cost to repair all Category 1 hazards, which pose a risk of death or serious injury in older people’s homes, would be recouped in just under eight years.
Excess cold claims the lives of up to 9,000 people a year in England and Wales
Focusing investment on mitigating excess cold in every home in the country headed by an older person would deliver an estimated £325m worth of savings to the NHS every year.
The potential savings from fixing dangerous homes for older people in England are significant, with the repair costs being paid back within nine years.
Dr Carole Easton OBE, chief executive at the Centre for Ageing Better, said: “Fixing unsafe homes is a value-for-money solution that will not only help people to live healthier and longer lives, but will also reduce pressures on health and social care.
“With so much supporting evidence pointing to significant benefits, it beggars belief that home improvement is not higher up the political agenda. Improving the country’s health cannot be done without improving the quality of our homes.”
Care needs are potentially avoidable if dangerous homes are fixed
The research found that people living in poor housing develop care needs eight years earlier than people living in a home without any housing problems.
This earlier development and longer time with care needs could be avoided if housing was to be improved.
The researchers state that the effects of poor housing are not experienced equally, however, with financial resources and housing tenure playing a significant role in the development of care needs.
Dr Nicola Brimblecombe, senior researcher at the Care Policy and Evaluation Centre and lead of the LSE research project (CAPE), said: “Our study clearly shows how poor quality and unsuitable housing can increase people’s care needs and their ability to live independently, negatively affect wellbeing, and reduce choice.
“Improving housing has the potential to improve people’s quality of life, reduce health and care inequalities, and save money for government as well as having wider benefits to the environment and society.”
