Emma Kiss, Homeshare Manager at St John’s Winchester, and Ramona Amuza, Homeshare Manager at Age UK Gloucestershire and Director of Homeshare West, share their expertise and experience of supporting older people live independently for longer in their communities – all thanks to Homeshare
Reducing social isolation
Homeshare enables two people share a home for mutual benefit. Typically, an older person with a spare room will be carefully matched with a younger person who will provide an agreed amount of support in exchange for good quality, affordable accommodation. The Homeshare match is supported by their local Homeshare organisation, who operate under robust safeguarding processes.
Ramona has been working as a Homeshare manager for nearly five years (and had lived Homeshare experience) and has seen first-hand the positive impact homesharing has for all involved, “Most older people wish to live in their home for as long as possible. However, as people age, tasks that used to be part of their routine, start becoming difficult or even impossible.
“Homeshare bridges the gap between someone living in their home completely independent and them needing full time care by providing the much-needed company and practical support for the older person. The homesharer often becomes a trusted friend to the older person.
“All our householders have reported that having a homesharer has improved their wellbeing and confidence, leading to increased independence.”
St John’s Winchester launched their service in Hampshire a year ago. Emma adds, “Homeshare has a supporting role to play in enabling better social care to happen. It cannot replace nursing care, but it can prevent the need for care in the first place, or at least delay it. In this respect, Homeshare is completely in line with recent government calls for services that enable older people to ‘Live Longer Better’.
“One householder’s wife was taken into dementia care. His family told us that at first, he felt he’d got his life back but quickly the loneliness and isolation began having a negative impact on his health and wellbeing, which is why he’s now looking for a homesharer for companionship.”
Making Homeshare accessible for all
Homeshare Gloucestershire, Homeshare West and St John’s Winchester are three of the 22 members of Homeshare UK who operate localised, safe Homeshare services across the UK. As the UK network, the aim is to grow local services and bring Homeshare to all areas of the UK, so more people can live socially and affordably no matter their age. Emma says, “I think homesharing will be huge in the coming years, as people who are now in their 60s who may have experienced shared living as students, will be more open to the idea.”
A key challenge is public awareness of Homeshare, Ramona outlines, “We know there are many people who struggle with loneliness, yet they have not heard of Homeshare. At the same time, younger people are facing the lack of affordable accommodation crisis and would really benefit from a Homeshare arrangement.
“Appropriate government backing of Homeshare would help facilitate scaling up this type of shared living arrangement and would conversely save the government money – as the monthly Homeshare fees are often a fraction of what they currently pay out in housing benefit.”
Benefits for individuals and society
Homeshare is a mutually beneficial arrangement with both people having something they need and something to give. Ramona expands on this, “Homeshare is often described by our matches as a ‘win-win’ situation.
“Each party gets something out of it and they both benefit from the beautiful friendship that develops. The homesharers benefit from the affordable accommodation but also can learn new skills and information from someone with lots more life experience. The older people get the much-needed company and practical support around the home, but also the peace of mind knowing they have someone around who genuinely cares about them.”
Emma continues, “This in turn can have a positive effect on the anxiety family members experience who live far away, they have the added reassurance that their loved one is safe.”
Homeshare in the UK is fast becoming a viable preventative model and an alternative to other types of home-based support
