I lead a sheltered life

What do existing residents and tenants think of sheltered housing?

An ERoSH survey conducted amongst sheltered housing residents, as part of the “I lead a sheltered life” campaign, has revealed that older people leading a sheltered life have more friends and enjoy a better social life since moving to sheltered housing.

A good social life
Over 90% of respondents said they had a good network of friends within their sheltered housing scheme and nearly three quarters said their lives were different because they had more friends.

Two thirds of respondents also said they were more involved in social activities (35% participate in exercise classes); while 75% also said they are encouraged to get involved with activities.

Peace of mind
A staggering 94% of respondents feel secure in their home, while 83% feel more independent as a result of living in sheltered housing.

These statistics support what ERoSH has been promoting since it was established in 1997: namely, sheltered housing offers residents security, peace of mind and independent living, which have knock on health and well being benefits. In order of priority, respondents said they liked sheltered housing’s friendly atmosphere, sense of community and jointly, their own space and independence and help if needed.

Positive / negative
A worrying number of respondents (46%) said they did not know about sheltered housing before moving in. 33% knew an average amount, while 15% had sound knowledge.

Of those who had heard about sheltered housing, nearly three quarters (74%) had a positive perception of it. Respondents told us that they thought of sheltered housing as having a well maintained home, somewhere to meet new friends, offering security and independent living.

A combined 39% of people said they had previously considered living in a residential home with round the clock care (13%), living in their home with home help visits daily (13%) or living with a family member (13%) before opting for sheltered housing.

An uplifting 81%, however, made the decision themselves (and not made for them) to move into sheltered housing, based on location (92%), that there was a property available (50%) and how accessible it was (48%).

ERoSH's 2007 awareness campaign, 'I lead a sheltered life' aims to:

• Increase awareness about the role of sheltered housing within a wider range of housing options for older people
• Position sheltered housing as the choice of the consumer and the industry
• Raise ERoSH's and our members' profiles.