ABSTRACT
1Getting old remains a conundrum. None of us wants to die but few of us look forward to being old. This opening chapter provides a context for addressing the challenge of how we can continue to live well as we live longer. Having set out the scale of the challenge, it looks at some perceptions of ageing, and the physical and cognitive effects of getting older, as a useful starting point for design.
A brief history of housing for older people reminds us that progress has been painfully slow. For centuries, older people with limited means relied on almshouses when they could no longer manage alone. Real change began about a hundred years ago, and more recently, the HAPPI project made its mark, pointing out that opportunity is often the corollary to challenge. The concept of inclusive design is discussed, followed by a brief overview of recent government policy.
