Intergenerational living improves quality of life

The ageing population presents new challenges across the UK but equally, there are new opportunities for people to enjoy longer and healthier lives. One challenge is how older people can live independently for longer; although people can install at home stair lifts, there is a need for more age-friendly and accessible homes.

A recent article, published on the BBC, reveals that Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, is taking on the challenge to build housing and adapt the local communities to suit people of all ages. The area believes it is the perfect place to become a testing ground for intergenerational living.

Experts from the area are committed to making Dumfries and Galloway a leading location for adapting to the ageing population, with help from their Care Campus Project, backed by the Crichton Trust. This project was launched with the aim to make Dumfries and Galloway a great place to live for the older generation.

The trust’s chief executive Gwilym Gibbons tells the BBC, “here at the Crichton Trust, we are trying to imagine what the world will look like in 15 to 20 years’ time, with a significant proportion of the population being over 65."

Gibbons continues to explain that they want to help develop homes with the technology to help older people, whilst also including them in the local community as a “key asset in terms of experience and knowledge.”

The architect, Steve Malone is part of the scheme to create a place where all generations can enjoy living, he comments, “In a nutshell, that's looking at the benefits and the barriers to town centres as places to live, in particular for the ageing demographic."

From focusing on intergenerational living, the area hopes that older people will continue to have a good quality of life and retain social connections for a longer amount of time.

Experts from across Scotland discussed the subject at an event in Dumfries, Amanda Britain chaired the event, she tells the BBC: “We have a growing number of older people and so we're all living longer, older people contribute massively to the economy and to society.” Amanda also suggested that young people will find great benefits from interacting with the older generation.

Gwilym Gibbons continues: “The reality of Dumfries and Galloway is important here because it means that we can test ideas and solutions and think of new ways of providing care and support for individuals that they can either be replicated or scaled into other environments and cities.

“So, it's about Dumfries and Galloway absolutely leading the way on what future care looks like and what living looks like in later life. That's about supporting people to stay cultural, economically and socially active as long as possible and as healthily as possible."

Those leading the project hope the plans to promote intergenerational living will encourage older and younger people to join in with the community together.