Globally, the aging population results in a large group of elderly people and not enough healthcare employees to take care of this group. Aging-in-place, the goal for older individuals to age in their homes is considered vital for their quality of life and to unburden the healthc
...
Globally, the aging population results in a large group of elderly people and not enough healthcare employees to take care of this group. Aging-in-place, the goal for older individuals to age in their homes is considered vital for their quality of life and to unburden the healthcare facilities. The demand for age-friendly houses is growing, necessitating a proactive approach to renovating homes for the elderly. Housing associations are expected to take the lead in the energy transition of the existing building stock, necessitating renovation of their portfolio to meet the energy requirements. Integrating aging-in-place features in the renovation plans of housing associations can help motivate the elderly to cooperate and approve of these plans continuing the energy transition, since 70% approval needs to be reached according to Ministerie van Algemene Zaken (2023), and responds to the needs of the aging population. This research will answer the question: how can aging-in-place features be integrated in energy renovations of social housing in The Netherlands? This study is researched through a literature study and (expert) interviews. The goal is to balance the needs for aging-in-place and energy improvement renovation projects to maximize the impact on the housing association and the elderly. The following strategy is proposed to overcome the barriers identified in the process of integrating aging-in-place features in energy renovations (1) collaboration with municipalities, elderly care providers, and housing associations to create urgency and align ambitions; (2) living coach and counseling to prepare aging social tenants for the future; (3) extra communication and guidance effort for elderly to mitigate resistance towards energy renovations; (4) collaboration and alignment with municipality and market parties to reduces barriers to implement aging-in-place initiatives and innovative care technologies.