Coping with the cold – exploring relationships between cold housing, health and social wellbeing in a sample of older people in Ireland

Abstract

Purpose -Older people are vulnerable to fuel poverty on the island of Ireland. This paper seeks to explore the lived experiences of older people in cold weather with a view to informing fuel poverty policy and service responses.Design/methodology/approach -A postal and online survey utilising an opportunistic sample of older people living in Ireland and linked with a range of services/community and voluntary groups was undertaken in January-April 2011. Data on the experiences of 722 older people in the cold weather of winter 2010/2011 were analysed in the context of socio-economic, health, and housing circumstances.Findings -During the period of extreme cold weather half of the sample reported that they went without other household necessities due to the cost of home-heating. In general, 62 per cent of those surveyed worried about the cost of home-heating. Homes considered ''too cold'' were more likely to lack central heating and experience damp/draughts. Staying indoors, keeping the heating on, and eating hot food/drinks were common responses to cold weather but a diverse range of behaviours was observed. Associations were observed between living in a cold home and higher levels of chronic illness, falls and loneliness, and fewer social activities.Research limitations/implications -The sample cannot be considered nationally representative; single occupancy and social housing units were overrepresented.Originality/value -This research found significant associations between living in a cold home/difficulty paying for heating, and aspects of ill-health and social exclusion. While no causal association can be assumed, this phenomenon has implications for policies supporting healthy ageing.

Review of community facilities in Australian retirement villages: A content analysis

“…Given the ageing of the Australian population, providing affordable housing and accommodation for older people is one of the foci of government policies. Australia faces significant challenges in providing supportive accommodation and care for older people who need both secure and comfortable homes and appropriate social environments to support ongoing interactions within the community [1]. Retirement villages are one type of accommodation that provides age‐specific housing for older adults.…”

Facework and trust in facilitating health-focused housing interventions

“…Evidence on the subject can be found for a wide range of settings [6–7] and populations [5; 8]. The UK has been a major focus for research in this area [1].…”

Staying safe at home in winter: case studies of people with dementia

“…Six of the papers contained a quantitative element, such as postal surveys (Cotter et al, 2012) or in-person data collection (Burholt and Windle, 2006;Stockton and Harrison, 2012). The sample sizes of surveys ranged from 64 to 722.…”

“…Older people's approaches to keeping themselves warm were captured in most studies in this review (Anderson, Anderson and Probert, 2008;Buholt and Windle, 2006;Chard and Walker, 2016;Cotter et al, 2012;Day and Hitchings, 2009, Gray et al, 2015Sheen and Jones, 2013;Stockton and Harrison, 2012;Sutton and Hill, 2012;Tod et al, 2012 and.…”

“…Five studies draw the reader's attention to their participants only heating part of their homes, with participants desiring not to be wasteful of neither heating or money (Buholt and Windle, 2006;Chard and Walker, 2012;Cotter et al, 2012;Stockton and Harrison, 2012;Tod et al, 2012 In three qualitative studies, central heating was found to be frequently used in two distinct bursts: a few hours in the morning and then longer in the evening (Day and Hitchings, 2009;Sheen and Jones, 2013;Wright, 2004). Day and Hitchings (2009) Conversely, when older people travelled or stayed with someone else they were found to adapt their behaviour to be a good guest (Day and Hitchings, 2011;Hitchings and Day, 2011).…”