Future scenarios of “housing with care” for the aging population in China

This paper explores the role of “housing with care” in achieving aging in place and its potential contribution in supporting the aging population in China. The world population is aging, with the number of people over 65 years and over 80 years also rising rapidly, particularly in China. Therefore, there is an urgency to develop support systems that help older people to age well in place. The work presented in this article builds on the research conducted as part of the ODESSA project. The final output was the development of twelve scenarios of possible futures that consider older people’s physical and social health, existing support and care needs. The scenarios were then put through a public consultation (adults aged 45–85) in Beijing. This was used to increase awareness of possible futures and seek feedback from those concerned. The findings from this study provide an insight into the important considerations that will be required to provide effective support to design housing and care environments to enable aging in place for the older population in China.