Social work and older people with dementia: Meeting their housing needs

Abstract

This paper looks at the potential contribution of both home improvement agencies (HIAs) and assistive technology to social work with older people with dementia. It presents some of the main findings of research funded by the Nuffield Foundation on how HIAs are helping to meet both the home improvement and home adaptations needs of such people. Two case studies are presented of such work in practice as well as a third example which looks at the potential role of assistive technology. It is argued that social workers have much to gain through working closely with such specialist housing agencies and that this is most likely to happen if staff'on the ground' map the availability of such support in their locality.