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Housing options
Why is it important to find adequate housing?
Providing people with care needs and disabilities with appropriate housing solutions is crucial in order to promote their independence, enhance accessibility and support their safety and social integration. In this context, it is important to recognise the wide range of choices available to them. Each choice is tailored to meet different medical, physical, emotional, and social requirements. Options range from independent living with minimal assistance to highly specialised facilities providing intensive care. The most common options include assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and home care services, each offering unique benefits and support structures. Additionally, there are innovative models such as co-housing communities and continuing care communities that emphasise a more personalised and community-based approach.
Understanding all these options is essential to make informed decisions that ensure the safety, comfort and well-being of those in need of care. In this section, you will learn about the various housing options available and which types of individuals they are best suited for
Why is it important to know about different housing options?
Securing housing with supportive services can provide essential daily assistance, ensuring a higher standard of care and greater autonomy. Understanding the available housing options offers numerous benefits for people with care needs and disabilities:
- Appropriate housing offers a tailored living environment that can meet specific needs, such as accessible features like ramps, wider doorways, and other modifications that facilitate mobility and independence.
- Adequate housing significantly enhances the quality of life. By choosing appropriate housing, people with care needs and disabilities can enjoy greater comfort and safety, which positively impacts their overall well-being.
- The right housing option helps avoid social isolation. Living in an inclusive community with access to social and recreational facilities enables individuals to maintain social connections and engage in activities, fostering a sense of belonging and reducing loneliness.
What housing options are there for people with care needs and disabilities? Which groups are they suitable for?
Overall, there is a wide range of different housing options tailored to several groups of people. All the options offer specific benefits and are designed to provide people with different care needs the best possible quality of life and support.
The cards below present various housing options for people in need of care. By clicking on each option, you can find out for which type of care needs they are best suited for and in which situations they are particularly appropriate.
How can informal carers help to find adequate housing for the individual(s) they care?
For you, as an informal caregiver, it is important to familiarise yourself with all the housing options available, to be able to help in the best possible way. In this context, adequate housing can improve quality of life and ensure that the special care needs of people are fully met. As outlined, different living arrangements offer unique advantages, and finding the right balance between social inclusion and necessary medical care is not always easy.
The examples described above can give you an initial idea on how to find suitable housing according to different preferences. For an overview of the situation in your own country, take a look at the connected topics.
Good Practices
Social housing
Article on the allocation of public housing for civil people with disabilities. Link here.
Fokuswonen
Fokus is a Dutch organisation providing what is known as ADL housing where residents can receive assistance in everyday activities, but they decide themselves what, when and how. Click on this Link.
As the work on this project has also shown, residential care in particular is one of the greatest challenges for younger people in need of care. Many facilities are geared towards geriatric care and are not very attractive to younger people due to the environment. Below, you can find some links that provide information on the topic. You might also find offers in your region under the keywords “young care” or “care home for younger people.
Housing project for people with MS
The doMS association was founded with the aim of developing a communal housing project for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in cooperation with a housing company. The building was occupied in 2009. Since then, people of different age groups and living and family situations have lived in 64 flats. Among them, there are 15 MS sufferers and other people with chronic illnesses or disabilities.
Wohnsinn is an association founded in 2018 to disseminate knowledge about inclusive housing options in Germany. By clicking on the link on the right, you will find an overview of inclusive housing options in Germany and have the possibility to contact them directly.
Own Home
Introducing “Savi namai” (Own Home): an initiative designed to create a home-like environment and provide the necessary services for adults with mental disabilities who do not need constant, intensive care, thus enabling them to manage their personal/family life independently. Link here.
Resources
On your region’s website you can find out about all the assistance you can receive.
Article entitled ‘Housing for people with disabilities’
The article explores the role of housing policies for people with disabilities.
Guide from the German Ministry of Health, illustrating further housing options (such as multi-generational homes).
The GKV study focussed on “new” forms of living for people in need of care. Some examples are given.
The All for All – Portuguese Tourism Programme includes a diverse and comprehensive set of initiatives promoted by Turismo de Portugal, aimed at stimulating, informing, training and supporting all the agents and entities that make up the tourism chain.
Guide to the social benefits available to people with disabilities, and list of the eligibility requirements and documents needed to enjoy this service.
Information on disability explaining what social security support people may be entitled to.
Housing of this kind is available for those with intellectual or mental disabilities. A group living home is a social care service provided within the community. Group homes are designed to resemble homes and can accommodate up to ten people with mental, intellectual or multiple disabilities who are not independent. In addition to receiving the required assistance in the home, residents of group homes can also access additional community-based services that support the development and restoration of social and independent living skills.
Short-term care provided by organization “Korys”
Here young people in need of care and their caregivers will find information about short-term care, what kind of team provides this service, and the target group who can apply for it.
Short-term social care for a person with a disability
Short-term social care is a set of services to offer complex assistance to individuals who require permanent specialist care, usually provided in institutions such as care homes. The duration of the service can vary and is usually offered when informal caregivers are unable to provide care due to sickness, work-related trips, holidays, family or work commitments, etc.
Long-term social care service offers complex assistance to people who are not fully independent and require permanent specialist care.