Group Homes and Groups of Homes: Alternative Housing Concepts and Their Application to Elderly People with Dementia in Sweden

The change of direction in social welfare and housing policies in Sweden has increased the demands for alternative community planning and housing design. Collective housing is a current topic of discussion in relation to the elderly, the severely disabled, and persons with chronic diseases. The design of the dwellings and the collective spaces varies from including a number of ordinary apartments connected with common spaces and facilities, i.e., a group of homes, to one large facility containing individual and common spaces, i.e., a group home.