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Anchor research
Research papers and reports
We produce research papers and reports on a range of topics that impact the lives of older people.
Find downloadable PDF versions of our most recent publications here.
The Platinum Pound: Boosting employment among older workers
September 2023
A report by cross-party think-tank Demos, supported by Anchor, exploring the value of older workers – the ‘Platinum Pound’ – and revealing how the drop in employment of people in later life is having a detrimental impact on the UK’s economy.
This report forms part of Demos’s work investigating how we can build an Inclusive Economy, where everyone participates and contributes to shared goals and where, as a consequence of that
contribution and participation, there is an equitable distribution of the benefits.
The report reveals that the UK economy could unlock £6.6bn a year by returning to pre-pandemic later life workforce levels, by making staying in work more inclusive and makes a series of policy recommendations to remove barriers to working in later life, empower our ageing population, and unlock the potential of older workers.
Read the related press release
Download the report in full here
Fragmented UK
March 2022
A report by Anchor, Fragmented UK: Reconnecting people by creating communities where people love living in later life, looks at the changing nature of communities and independence particularly in a post pandemic environment.
The research identifies a disconnect between what younger people believe older people expect from later life and what they actually expect. The report also highlights what independence means to older people and how specialist older people’s housing can enable this.
Fragmented UK makes a series of recommendations to supporting local communities and economies by increasing housing options for people in later life.
It also outlines how specialist older people’s housing can play a vital role in supporting the government’s social care reform and levelling up agendas through helping to meet some of the most pressing challenges presented by an ageing society through supporting people to live healthier, fulfilling lives for longer.
Download the full report here.
Public Policy Projects’ State of the Nation report: The future of social care: Turning rhetoric into reality
July 2021
Public Policy Projects’ State of the Nation report, The future of social care: Turning rhetoric into reality, calls for a “1948 moment” for social care following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Focusing on four key areas: Integration, Innovation, Funding and Infrastructure the report makes a series of recommendations to the government for social care reform; emphasising the need to build a resilient, fully resourced and integrated social care system with providers at the heart of decision making.
Public Policy Projects also highlight the importance of older people’s housing to the future of social care and calls for a new planning classification and a Housing-with-Care Task Force to support the development of retirement communities.
Anchor were a co-sponsor of the report and provided research material to inform the recommendations; including case studies and our previous report findings.
Download the full report on the Public Policy Projects' website here
International Longevity Centre: What we want: Future-proofing retirement housing in England
February 2021
The International Longevity Centre’s report, What we want: Future-proofing retirement housing in England, highlights the importance of housing designed specifically with emerging care needs in mind as the UK’s population ages.
The report stresses the need for the supply of the UK’s retirement communities to be increased by a third by 2040 as well as the optimism surrounding the sector, as increasing housing equity presents more and more older people with options for retirement housing.
The report also argues that, in addition to demographic and financial trends, preferences such as satisfaction with housing and a desire to age in place are key drivers of demand for retirement housing.
ILC also calls on the retirement community sector to adapt to these trends and take advantage of the growth opportunities available in the future.
Read the related press release
APPG on Housing and Care for Older People: Housing for people with dementia – are we ready?
February 2021
Anchor sponsored the APPG on Housing and Care for Older People’s inquiry into housing for those living with dementia. Supported by the Housing LIN, the inquiry heard evidence from a wide range of contributions on the readiness of the housing and care sectors to deal with the increasing number of people living with dementia in the UK’s ageing society.
The report makes a series of recommendations on how to improve the housing options available for those living with dementia, achieve earlier diagnosis of the condition and how people can themselves better prepare for their potential care and support needs in later life.
Read the related press release
Staying Strong: evaluation of activities to prevent falls in Hackney
November 2020
In 2019 Anchor successfully secured a grant from the Hackney Healthy Ideas Fund to carry
out a twelve-month project to investigate the role that retirement housing could play in the early
intervention of falls. The fund is an initiative run by Hackney Council and City and Hackney CCG and aims to tackle some of the challenges surrounding primary prevention.
Read our evaluation report and the evidence the project found demonstrating the strong role that retirement housing can play in the early intervention of falls.
Download the full evaluation report here
Retirement housing’s value revealed in new study
June 2020
The enormous contribution made by retirement housing to tenants’ wellbeing and corresponding savings for the state are revealed in the most comprehensive report of its kind. In a study with far-reaching implications for all providers and commissioners, and building on its earlier work on general needs social housing, Sonnet Advisory & Impact analyses the social value of Anchor's rented retirement and extra-care housing.
Read the related press release
Tea & Technology: Digital engagement project in partnership with Aviva
February 2019
Our Tea & Technology project in partnership with Aviva has used £50,000 gifted from Aviva's Community Fund to purchase tablets and train volunteers to increase digital engagement amongst older people and open up the digital world to a whole new audience. In an increasingly digital world its vital the older generation are given the opportunity to see for themselves what the internet has to offer and decide whether they can benefit. The project aimed to tackle the array of barriers that older people can face when using the internet and help highlight the benefits of getting online.
Read our report to find out how Tea & Technology is making a difference.
Older generations to rescue the high street
November 2017
In October 2016, Anchor launched a campaign titled ‘Standing Up 4 Sitting Down’ which identified the lack of seating in the high street. The campaign aimed to provide MPs, planners, businesses and the public with a better understanding of the broader challenges older people face on the high street. An integral component of the campaign was Anchor’s commissioning of a report by ILC-UK “The Missing £Billions: The economic cost of failing to adapt our high street to respond to demographic change.” This report builds on the ILC-UK report, widening the terms of reference and adding current and future perspectives.
Read the related press release
Experiences Of Being: The benefit of drama, music and dancing in improving the wellbeing of older people in care homes
September 2017
A report about an initiative bringing drama and creativity into the lives of older people in care homes, particularly those with dementia. The Beth Johnson Foundation and Anchor worked together on this project in 2017 and the resulting ‘Experience of Being’ report shows how participation in drama, with music and dance, can benefit older people, with a powerful and positive effect.
Read the related press release
The Social Value of Sheltered Housing
February 2017
In February 2017, Demos carried out research to explore and quantify the social value of sheltered housing, as a form of housing for older people distinct from other housing with care or generic retirement housing options. This was to help Anchor, Housing and Care 21 consider the implications of the proposals put forward by the Government, that by 2019, the core rent and service charges for a variety of forms of supported housing will be funded through Housing Benefit or Universal Credit up to the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate.
The Work and Pensions Committee and the Communities and Local Government Committee launched a joint inquiry into these proposals in December 2016. This paper provides a review of the existing evidence regarding the impact of sheltered housing, and then draws on this to make some initial estimates as to the cost savings it can achieve in a range of fields.
The Missing £Billions: The economic cost of failing to adapt our high street to respond to demographic change
November 2016
The Missing £Billions is a report produced by independent think-tank the International Longevity Centre - UK (ILC-UK), supported by Anchor. It analyses the financial impact of high streets and shops not being accessible to many older people who often experience difficulty walking.
Read the related press release
Valuing Retirement Housing: Exploring the economic effects of specialist housing for older people
Independent Think Tank, The Strategic Society Centre, and Anchor have partnered to put a figure on the economic impact of the lack of suitable homes for older people in the UK now and over the next 50 years. The Valuing Retirement Housing report reveals how the lack of suitable retirement housing affects both older and younger generations.
August 2016
Independent Think Tank, The Strategic Society Centre, and Anchor have partnered to put a figure on the economic impact of the lack of suitable homes for older people in the UK now and over the next 50 years. The Valuing Retirement Housing report reveals how the lack of suitable retirement housing affects both older and younger generations.
Read the related press release
Silver Chic: The future of retirement housing and care
November 2015
Anchor ventured to envisage what the retirement housing of the future might look like. This report, written by journalist and policy consultant Sonya Sodha, is informed by independent research, results gathered from focus groups of two different demographics as well as a prestigious round table event, attended by a range of care industry experts, thought leaders, architects and designers.
Read the related press release
How iPads can support people with dementia living in care homes
August 2015
The Association for Dementia Studies at the University of Worcester conducted an eight-month study in partnership with Anchor exploring how iPads can support people with dementia living in care homes. The findings reveal that if managed correctly, iPads have significant potential to enhance the quality of life of older people and particularly those living with dementia.
Read the related press release
Unblocking: Securing a health and social care system that protects older people
February 2015
The Unblocking: Securing a health and social care system that protects older people report published by independent think tank Localis and Anchor, explores the failures of the health and social care system, which are resulting in sub-standard care for the older population. The report makes key recommendations to prevent excessive hospital admissions, delayed transfers of care and unnecessary health costs in the future.
Read the related press release
Future Care Workforce report
February 2014
The Future Care Workforce report published by the International Longevity Centre-UK and Anchor reviews the state of the adult social care workforce and how it may have to evolve to meet the challenges it is likely to face over the coming decade. This report finds that the adult social care sector in England will need to add approximately 1 million workers by 2025 and will have diversify in order to deliver a more personalised service to those in need of care and support.
Read the related press release
Right Care, Right Price report
September 2013
The Right Care, Right Price report published by the Strategic Society Centre and Anchor, explores the way in which the price of care is determined and revealed that nearly half (48 per cent) of adults have not given any thought at all as to how they will pay for their own care.
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