Title: ‘Amar bari,amar jibon’ (My home, my life) : developing living environments for Bangladeshi elders
Funder: Dunhill Medical Trust

Abstract: The ageing population of the UK is diverse, so creating suitable living environments requires real understanding of different ways of living and how people want to live. There is strong evidence about environments of ageing, from the common desire to ‘stay put’ at home, to choices in on-going developments of housing-with-care, and care home living. There is also compelling empirical evidence of persistent, enduring ethnic inequalities in housing and the detrimental impact of poor housing on health and wellbeing. Inequalities have been amplified by the pandemic – with inequalities including ethnic differences in home ownership, tenure, living arrangements, neighbourhood deprivation and community connectivity being of particular concern. Despite research focused on environments of ageing comparatively little is known about the housing experiences and preferences of Asian older adults in the UK - in particular, the different histories of migration and family development across generations in minority groups. Researching what constitutes ‘suitable’ environments must pay attention to the actual concerns and aspirations of diverse communities. There is need for a nuanced approach to provision for minority group elders that considers cultural, family, and wider community concerns. This study researches diversity and inclusion in later life living environments and communities focusing on Bangladeshi elders (‘probin’ in Bangla) in East London. It will develop a knowledge base of their experiences and aspirations regarding meaning of place - home, housing, and neighbourhood environments, and implications for wellbeing. Our overarching research question is ‘What are Bangladeshi elders' experiences of their current living arrangements and their understanding of what constitutes ‘suitable living environments’ for ageing well? To address this, we will explore variation by sex, age, and health-related conditions, living arrangements, tenure and socio-economic status, and how probin and their families respond to and adapt living accommodations when they are no longer perceived as enabling environments. We will investigate sources of informal and formal housing-related advice and support that are drawn upon, alongside, gathering perspectives of housing, health, and social care providers. A post-COVID partnership between the Bangla Housing Association (BHA), The Open University (OU), and the Housing LIN (Learning and Information Network) will co-produce, with a Bangla Research Advisory group (BRAG), community co-researchers, and a Practitioner advisory group (PAG) testimony to raise awareness, informing local, borough-wide, metropolitan, and national housing strategies. Our partnership and methodological approach are underpinned by a co-produced approach to research, grounded in participatory and community research traditions and collaborative ways of working. BHA and OU will jointly appoint 6 trilingual community co-researchers, trained by the OU team and DBS checked, to conduct interviews in Sylheti, Bengali and English as required. Fieldwork in East London will include 80 individual in-depth interviews with probin aged 50 and over, and group interviews with their families when living in multigenerational households. Additionally, local providers, practitioners and stakeholders of housing, health and care services will be interviewed. The work will be supported by advisory groups: (1) Bangla community (men and women separately, and supported technically and linguistically to participate), (2) stakeholders including service providers and practitioners. The most immediate direct and measurable impact we expect from this research relates to BRAG, co-researchers and research participants (through capacity strengthening and information resources); and Bangladeshi communities in East London and service providers (through increased awareness and knowledge exchange informing practice ). By judicious use of multi-media dissemination and knowledge exchange events we aim in the longer term to have impact beyond the academic community on broader considerations of good housing for older people, taking a more nuanced approach to cultural preferences and multigenerational family living. The Housing LIN will lead on impact activities to bring the research findings to influence national policy, informing local and metropolitan practitioner networks and decision-makers, including local authorities, mainstream and specialist housing associations. We aim to produce detailed evidence of values, ideas and perceptions regarding appropriate housing and living arrangements including how age, housing, family structures and community participation interact affecting quality of life for Bangladeshi elders. We will explore different forms of housing provision and living arrangements that could be ways forward for this group. Potentially this could generate generic ideas about future housing prototypes contributing to shaping discourse about housing and support in later life (e.g., by including multi-generational considerations).

Lay abstract: While many ‘older’ people may prefer to age in place at home familiar living arrangements can sometimes become inadequate as people age and need more support. The population aged from 50+ to 100+ have very different experiences depending on their health, resources, and location, so there is no one-size-fits-all solution to housing and health needs as people age. In thinking about what contributes towards suitable and comfortable environments for older people the experiences and perspectives of black and ethnic minority groups tend to be missing. This research focuses on one particular group with entrenched housing and health inequalities: Bangladeshi elders (‘probin’ in Bangla), who are more likely to live as social or private renters in low-income households, officially categorised as ‘overcrowded, in poorer, densely populated urban neighbourhoods: for instance, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, 33% are living in overcrowded multigenerational households. Chronic health conditions - particularly diabetes, cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure and stress - are common amongst Bangladeshi people aged over 50, exposing people to greater vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic. A post-COVID partnership between Bangla Housing Association, The Open University (OU), and Housing LIN will work within long-established Bangla communities in East London over 36 months. Guided by research advisory groups (from Bangla community; service providers) and using community co-researchers, the project will explore the challenges and benefits of multi-generational living, and living alone, and in age-related accommodation on health and wellbeing including what preferred and possible future housing options could look like. To gather the lived experiences of probin and their families, we will conduct telephone, online and face-to-face interviews and group discussions in Bengali, Sylheti, and English as needed. We will also interview key local providers and influencers (e.g. local authorities, housing and care providers, faith, and community leaders) This research will benefit Bangladeshi communities through - development of more empowered local members; more skilled and competent researchers and hearing the voices of the research participants. In the medium-term detailed understanding of current and future housing needs will inform diverse local stakeholders aiming for greater communication and engagement between all parties. In particular, wider knowledge about challenges and benefits of multigenerational living will contribute to informing debates on housing and support, and how local housing strategies and investment plans can be informed by resultant practice and policy across housing for later life.

Research activity codes: 1.2 PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC PROCESSES;8.1 ORGANISATION AND DELIVERY OF SERVICES
Health categories: GENERIC HEALTH RELEVANCE