NEWS
Lack of urgency in improving quality of homes has left elderly and ethnic minority residents in danger
RCOT has supported the findings of a new report from the Good Home Inquiry . Commissioned by the Centre for Ageing Better , the inquiry was established to provide an evidence-based analysis of England ’ s housing policies , to determine solutions to the poor quality of homes .
It found that four million homes do not meet basic standards of decency , two million of which ( one in 10 homes in England ) contain a ‘ category one hazard ’, meaning they are of such poor quality that they put their residents ’ health or safety at risk .
It was also revealed that England ’ s homes are the oldest and among the worst quality in Europe . The lack of urgency to improve homes has left residents in danger , costing the NHS an estimated £ 1.4 billion a year , and the lack of action on the quality of decent homes is leading to deaths , which have increased by 20 percent from 2018 .
Lauren Walker , RCOT professional adviser , has taken part in these focus groups and supported the evidence . She said : ‘ RCOT was pleased to contribute to the discussions that informed the development of the Good homes for all report , alongside members of the public and other health and housing organisations . It is great to see the value of occupational therapists noted within the report , referencing our importance in helping to make homes healthy , accessible and safe .’
People aged over 55 are more likely to live in poor-quality housing , as are those most vulnerable to COVID-19 , such as people with health conditions , or from Black , Asian , and ethnic minority backgrounds .
Lauren stated that housing is a key social determinant of health and that it is important that occupational therapy support is targeted to the people who are in greatest need .
She said : ‘ RCOT is encouraging all occupational therapists to consider how they can proactively address health inequalities through their practice , and there are many opportunities for occupational therapists working in housing settings to do this , as
noted in the new RCOT Roots of recovery report .’
While poor-quality housing is at the forefront of the report , it is most prevalent in the owner-occupied sector , with many residents unable to afford vital repairs or improvements to their home .
David Orr , chairman of the Good Home Inquiry , said : ‘ The scourge of low-quality housing is an injustice that nobody should be forced to suffer and yet it is the norm for millions of people in England .
‘ Today , two million homes across the country are such poor quality that they pose a risk to the health or safety of the people living in them . We have the oldest homes in Europe , and amongst the poorest quality . This crisis is not new and the fact that the problem has never been properly addressed should be a source of national embarrassment .’
The pandemic has highlighted the impact that low-quality housing has on our health and wellbeing ; the urgency of reaching net zero carbon emissions means that retrofitting homes to make them more energy efficient must be a priority .
And we are facing a rapid age-shift in the population – by 2041 , one in four people in England will be aged 65 or over , meaning that the country ’ s homes need to be suitable for those in later life .
According to the report , the government should set out a cross-government housing strategy with a ministerial champion to implement it . It also recommends the creation of a ‘ Good Home Agency ’ in every local area , to provide access to information and advice about repairs , energy efficiency and retrofitting , as well as supporting residents with paying for and finding trusted tradespeople to carry out repairs .
Occupational therapists have a key role in achieving the recommendations within the report , by supporting people to identify and access home adaptations and improvements that will help them to live independently and comfortably .
The report , Good homes for all : A proposal to fix England ’ s housing can be downloaded at : https :// bit . ly / 3H18EIa .
Greener Hub launched to improve sustainability for AHP professionals
Following on from the NHS becoming the world ’ s first health system to commit to reaching ‘ net zero ’ carbon emissions , the chief allied health professions officer for England , Suzanne Rastrick , is delighted to launch the ‘ Greener AHP Hub ’ to support allied health professionals ( AHPs ) towards a greener and sustainable practice .
The hub is accessible to all AHPs , including occupational therapists , and includes information on the importance of environmental sustainability for the overall population and environmental health .
RCOT ’ s director of professional operations , Karin Bishop has played a key role in the development of the hub alongside other AHP bodies and has ensured the hub identifies opportunities for AHPs to engage in or lead sustainability improvements , prioritising the issues and actions with the greatest impact .
AHPs are already contributing to deliver a net zero NHS ; however , the new system will recommend how AHPs can practise in a more environmentally sustainable way to ensure the health system is successful to become carbon neutral by 2050 ( www . gov . uk / government / news / uk-becomes-first-major-economy-to-pass-net-zero-emissionslaw ).
Other areas of concern are public health and digital transformation and how to reduce the environmental impact of equipment , resources , medicines and nutrition , but sustainability will remain a priority for AHPs .
© Tasha Vector via Getty Images
10 OTnews November 2021