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Taking a Capabilities Approach to Evaluating Supportive Environments for Older People

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Abstract

The ageing of our population means that most places have to see themselves as retirement communities. A pressing question is therefore how environments are supporting quality of life for older people. This paper suggests that a capabilities approach could be a valuable tool. Firstly, it can explicitly address issues of inequality and diversity (Sen, Inequality re-examined. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992; Nussbaum, Women and human development: The capabilities approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000; Robeyns, Feminist Economics 9/2–3:61–92, 2003). Secondly, because the capabilities approach acknowledges agency, it can be used to ensure that older people themselves name the criteria that are important. The resulting framework can be used by older people and policy makers to map the responsiveness of their place to later life concerns. It offers, therefore, a means of shifting attitudes from one of deficit and dependency to independence and well being. In producing capabilities criteria, this paper looks to the views of older people as expressed in recently published work in the UK. The paper discusses in turn the domains cited by older people: health, adequate income, mobility, safe neighbourhood, the comfortable and secure home, social relations and support illustrating how these key quality of life factors are often compromised by poor policy provision.

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Notes

  1. The Elders Council of Newcastle is a forum of older people (aged 50+). It was established to promote the benefit and social inclusion of elders by providing a voice for older people’s organisations and individuals on issues concerning their quality of life, health and well-being. It promotes the potential of older people as a creative and active resource for the community. Its work is carried out through working groups: health social care; housing, lifelong learning, older person friendly city centre, and the readers group.

  2. The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK’s leading research funding and training agency addressing economic and social concerns. It aims to provide high quality research on issues of importance to business, the public sector and government.

  3. In writing this for an international audience it is worth recalling that the American constitution determined it was fitting to include the pursuit of happiness in its list of the inalienable rights.

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  1. School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University, Newcastle, NEI 7RU, UK

    Rose Gilroy

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  1. Rose Gilroy
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Gilroy, R. Taking a Capabilities Approach to Evaluating Supportive Environments for Older People. Applied Research Quality Life 1, 343–356 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-007-9025-3

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