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Exploring the Market for Accessible and Adaptable Homes
How do homebuyers consider the accessibility and adaptability of properties? How do estate agents market properties with accessibility and adaptability features? Beginning in March 2018 this pilot study will seek to answer these research questions through a choice experiment survey with recent homebuyers and focus groups with estate agents. I am leading the project with support from Emeritus Professor Ken Willis and Professor Rose Gilroy. It is funded by Newcastle University's Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty Research Fund. You can read more about the project here. |
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Home Adaptations and Later Life
This project, led by Northumbria University in partnership with Newcastle University, Elders Council of Newcastle, North Tyneside Council and Newcastle City Council, is exploring the lived experience of home adaptations in later life. Using interviews and photographic methods we have gathered data from 30 people aged 65 and over and conducted focus groups with a variety of practitioners. The research will produce recommendations which seek to improve policy and practice for older people. The project will complete in 2018, with a launch planned for July. The project is funded by the Centre for Ageing Better and you can read more about it here. |
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Best Practice for Housing Development for Older People
Professor Rose Gilroy and I were commissioned to produce a best practice guide for the development of housing schemes specifically for people in later life, with a focus on the home environment, the shared built and natural environment, and community facilities. The project was divided into two phases. The first considered previous research into the challenges faced by older people in both community dwellings and specialist accommodation and how appropriate design can provide a variety of benefits for residents. It involved a literature review of the academic and 'grey' literature, identification of some examples of best practice and recommendations for future developments to consider. Phase 1 was completed in 2017. Phase 2 will apply the findings to a specific site and make recommendations which will be used in the architectural brief for the development of new specialist accommodation. The research will be completed in 2018. |
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Drawing Health Professionals into Housing Design
This project brought occupational therapists, rehabilitation workers, psychologists, a social care manager, a paramedic and other professionals together with Ryder architects over three half-day workshops to contribute to the design of Newcastle's Future Homes. The project allowed us to capture these 'unheard voices' to contribute to the development of future-proofed housing. A survey and interviews with a sample of participants provided data on their experiences and how such workshops could be improved. The project was funded by Newcastle University Institute for Ageing (NUIA). |
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Home and Healthy Ageing Seminar Series
Members of the Home and Health Research Group, led by Phil Hodgson at Northumbria University, convened four seminars with a small group of charities, local government officers, civil servants and academics. Our sessions explored aspects of home and healthy ageing with the aim of developing a research agenda which could influence policy and practice. The team included Phil Hodgson, Nat Forster, Peter van der Graaf, Monique Lhussier and Cathy Bailey. You can read the blogs produced by members of the team in connection with the seminars here, here and here. The project was funded by FUSE, the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health. |
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Preferences on Villages Offering Care and Support
A Q methodological approach was used to investigate older people’s views of the relative level of attractiveness of aspects of a specialist housing development offering care and support. The analysis revealed four viewpoints amongst participants, differing by their attitude toward features such as adaptated homes, the provision of care, leisure facilities, the age of other residents, transport provision and social opportunities. The research was completed with Professor Glenda Cook and Allison Lawson at Northumbria University. The findings will be published in an academic journal shortly. |
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Health-focused Housing Interventions
An information, advice and guidance service which seeks to assist privately-housed residents in rectifying housing problems associated with health issues was explored through interviews with 15 households. The study documented the degenerating person-home fit previously encountered by participants and the perceived health and wellbeing outcomes of the resulting housing interventions. The project highlighted the importance of 'facework' in services which seek to achieve the successful navigation of complex systems for positive health outcomes. It was completed with Dr Phil Hodgson, Professor Glenda Cook and Allison Lawson. The research was published in the journal PLOS One. |
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Trust and Participation in Urban Regeneration
My doctoral research explored how residents living in regeneration areas considered the trustworthiness of the officers working on housing redevelopment projects. It also investigated to what extent trust in regeneration officers drove residents' willingness to participate in projects. Trust in officers was found to be more closely connected with perceived similarities than notions of technical competence and the study also showed that residents’ interpersonal trust in officers may be unlikely either to encourage or dissuade participation. The findings instead highlighted the potential importance of 'system trust' in regeneration. The study was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Two articles have been published from the research, in People, Place and Policy and Planning Theory & Practice. |
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