Aging in Place: Can Home Care Budgets Help Older Renters Stay Put?
"An Australian study reveals the challenges and opportunities of individual home care budgets for older renters, highlighting the need for affordable and secure housing to support successful aging."
As populations age worldwide, the ability of older adults to remain in their homes and communities becomes increasingly important. This concept, known as "aging in place," is often supported by policies and programs that aim to provide the necessary care and services to older individuals in their own homes. However, these initiatives often overlook the unique challenges faced by older renters, who may have less stable housing and limited ability to modify their living spaces.
Home-based aged care delivery models, such as individual budgets, have emerged as a way to offer increased flexibility, choice, and control to consumers. But do these models truly address the needs of older renters, who often face housing insecurity and affordability issues? A recent study in Australia sheds light on this question, exploring the experiences of older renters receiving individual budget-style home care services.
This article delves into the findings of that study, examining the housing implications of individual budget home care models for older renters. It uncovers the challenges and opportunities these models present, highlighting the critical role of affordable and secure housing in supporting successful aging in place. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for policymakers, housing providers, and aged care service providers alike.
The Evolution of Home Care
Home care services for older adults have evolved over time, shaped in part by the employment of interprofessional teams. Legislative actions and public policies have also influenced the growth of home care. Historical accounts describe additional influences, including cultural norms, technological advancements, and caregivers’ contributions. Contemporary home care emphasizes patient-centered care, independence, and quality of life.
The Reality for Older Renters: Housing Instability and Limited Control
While aging in place is often predicated on the assumption that older adults have stable and suitable housing, this is not always the case for renters. Older renters often experience housing stress due to affordability challenges, limited security of tenure, and restrictions on modifying their homes to meet their changing needs.
- Lack of Control: Renters often have little control over their living environment and may face difficulties in obtaining permission for necessary modifications.
- Affordability Concerns: Rising rents and utility costs can strain the budgets of older renters, leaving them with limited funds for other essential needs, including healthcare.
- Limited Tenure Security: Short-term leases and the potential for eviction can create anxiety and instability, making it difficult for older renters to plan for the future.
Renters and Aging-in-Place Research
Research on precariously housed older Australians notes that home care packages can support aging in place, but substantial unmet demand remains. These programs generally assume that older people’s housing is stable, safe, and appropriate, an assumption that may not hold for all renters. In Australia, almost one third of households, or 31%, rented their home in 2019–20, down from 32% in 2017–18. Research also describes the private rental market as potentially ruthless for people living on a fixed income or pension.
Limits of Aging in Place
Aging in place can help older adults remain in familiar homes and maintain community ties, but it can also involve difficulties such as maintaining a clean home. Falls are another concern; one cited source reports that about one in four older adults falls each year, with uneven flooring, poor lighting, and mobility limitations contributing to risk. Dementia can create increasingly serious challenges as the condition progresses, even when supervision, home modifications, and structured routines initially support safe living at home. For some families, aging in place works for years, while for others it is only a temporary step before higher levels of care are needed.
Moving Forward: Ensuring Housing Security and Choice for Older Renters
The Australian study underscores the need for a more holistic approach to supporting older adults' ability to age in place. Individual budget home care models can be valuable tools, but they must be coupled with policies and programs that address the underlying housing challenges faced by older renters.
Building Effective Home Support
The evidence reviewed on long-term services and supports emphasizes the importance of affordable medical and social services delivered in the home. Home-Based Primary Care supports more than 2 million homebound Americans aged 65 and older, according to a 2025 review. It is described as providing comprehensive, patient-centered care for frail and vulnerable people while addressing physical, social, and mental health needs. An umbrella review likewise identifies home healthcare as a strategy for meeting older adults’ complex health and social needs while reducing reliance on institutional care.
Emerging Directions in Elder Care
Sources describing elder care trends for 2026 identify artificial intelligence in home care, telehealth, holistic support, and aging-in-place solutions as areas to watch. Other projected developments include increased provider collaboration, integration of mental health support, and personalized genomic medicine. New caregiving models centered on aging in place and home care are also gaining traction. These approaches aim to help older adults maintain autonomy while receiving professional assistance.
System Pressures and Care Gaps
The U.S. healthcare system faces an aging population alongside workforce shortages, capacity issues, and fragmentation. One analysis argues that innovative solutions and policy reforms are needed in response. Emerging research also identifies multimorbidity, polypharmacy, poor medication adherence, inadequate wound and pain management, and delayed recognition of acute deterioration as medical challenges. Social challenges include loneliness, caregiver burden, financial inequities, and insufficient cultural sensitivity in care models.
Community-Based Aging in Place
U.S. case studies describe older adults’ preference to age in place by remaining in their current homes or communities. The case-study materials address community health services, home care, housing, older people, and volunteer workers in social services. A study involving Rebuilding Together examined how collaboration with a nonprofit home-repair organization can help mediate barriers to aging in place. Other documented support models include companionship programs, caregiver support, health navigation, transportation assistance, and advocacy.
This includes increasing the availability of affordable and secure rental housing, providing financial assistance to help older renters meet their housing costs, and empowering them to make informed choices about their living arrangements and care services.
Ultimately, creating a truly supportive environment for aging in place requires a collaborative effort between policymakers, housing providers, aged care service providers, and older adults themselves. By working together, we can ensure that all older adults, regardless of their housing tenure, have the opportunity to live with dignity, independence, and security in their own homes and communities.