Control, Communication and the Emotional Construction of Home: The Role of Home Improvements in Supporting Ageing-in-Place

Abstract

Ageing populations are reshaping housing policy globally, with growing attention on supporting ‘ageing-in-place’. Alongside potential savings, there is recognition that people want to live independently in their own home as they age. This often requires housing adaptations for accessibility, comfort and functionality, a challenge in England, with one of the oldest housing stocks in Europe. Drawing on a national evaluation of home improvement services, this paper situates home adaptations within literature on ageing, home, and home-making. We explore lived experiences of people receiving adaptations, examining impacts on the emotional project of maintaining a sense of home, itself often disrupted by age-related impairments. Poor communication and lack of control contribute to feelings of invasiveness, loss of autonomy and discomfort. Yet adaptations can buttress against home unmaking and ‘re-make’ a sense of home. We provide valuable evidence for policy and practice, and contributions to literature around ‘home’ and ‘ageing-in-place’, with international relevance.