Nordic approaches to housing and ageing - Current concepts and future needs

Abstract

The Nordic countries have a reputation for having both universal welfare systems and high housing standards. However, demographic development and ageing in place policies present challenges to the current housing and care services for the older population. During the last few decades, there has been a significant decrease in the coverage of care for older adults. This is related to the increase in older adults as well as challenges related to the availability of the workforce and raising care costs. This development is leading to increasing demand for various supportive housing solutions for seniors and older adults. The objective of this paper is to provide a comparative overview of existing housing solutions for seniors and older adults in Nordic countries. The objective of the comparative descriptive analyses is to point out the challenges and future possibilities for housing. This is illustrated by some new cases, all of which show solutions that enable older adults to continue being a part of city life in their own neighbourhoods. They also show a variety of solutions that, at the same time, give possibilities to live independently and live interdependent in different kinds of co-housing and neighbourhoods. This paper highlights the need for a more systematic evaluation of housing solutions for older adults across the Nordic countries, to be able to learn from each other and to be able to manage the impacts of an ageing society on the welfare system.