What's in a name? Similarities and differences in international terms and meanings for older peoples' housing with services

Abstract

The diversity of terms and meanings relating to housing with services for older people confounds systematic analysis, especially in international comparative research. This paper presents an analysis of over  terms identified in literature from the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand reporting types of housing with services under the umbrella of 'service integrated housing' (SIH), defined as all forms of accommodation built specifically for older people in which the housing provider takes responsibility for delivery of one or more types of support and care services. A small number of generic terms covering housing for people in later life, home and community care, and institutional care are reviewed first to define the scope of SIH. Review of the remainder identifies different terms applied to similar types of SIH, similar terms applied to different types, and different terms that distinguish different types. Terms are grouped into those covering SIH focused on lifestyle and recreation, those offering only support services, and those offering care as well as support. Considerable commonality is found in underlying forms of SIH, and common themes emerge in discussion of drivers of growth and diversification, formal policies and programmes, and symbolic meanings. In establishing more commonality than difference, clarification of terminology advances policy debate, programme development, research and knowledge transfer within and between countries.KEY WORDSservice integrated housing, retirement villages, international comparative research, seniors' housing, housing for older people, care and support.

Older UK sheltered housing tenants' perceptions of well-being and their usage of hospital services

“…Its scope is reflected in Howe et al . 's () categorisation of the 90 terms they identified through a search of electronic databases to describe housing for older people. Adopting the umbrella term ‘Service‐integrated housing’ (SIH), they offer a useful typology to distinguish housing options: (i) lifestyle and recreation; (ii) support services for independent living in private dwellings or shared housing; and (iii) support and care services.…”

Older adults who move to independent living units: A regional Australian study

“…In this study, the term three‐tier complex refers to accommodation built specifically for older people where three forms of housing—ILUs, a hostel and nursing home—offer, respectively, increasing levels of care (Howe, Jones, & Tilse, , p. 559). The term ILU is used to refer to a form of housing with support where older people “are able to live independently without regular nursing or personal care assistance” (Howe et al, , p. 568). The ILUs in this study were part of a three‐tier complex in a suburb in a regional city in northern New South Wales.…”

“…Howe et al () noted that unlike the United Kingdom and United States, there has been little research on Australian residents' experiences of moving to ILUs. An exception is Gardner et al ().…”

Residing in sheltered housing versus ageing in place – Population characteristics, health status and social participation

“…Currently, various different concepts exist to describe housing for older people whom do not need health care and are capable of independent living, but desire social care in terms of interaction and a supportive environment. Some examples of concepts used internationally to describe such housing for older people include assisted living, independent living facility, co‐housing, sheltered housing, supportive housing scheme, retirement community and service housing (Daatland et al, ; Howe, Jones, & Tilse, ; Iecovich, ). The variation in and the amount of different concepts may be explained at least partly by differences in welfare models, differences in the amount of services provided and the differences in design and operations, which in turn may be related to the levels of privatisation of care services for older adults (Daatland et al, ; Howe et al, ; Iecovich, ).…”