In eighteen neighbourhoods of Rotterdam a baseline is created for the Urban Monitor for Assisted living areas. Veldacademie asked independently living elderly for their needs and experiences. The monitor is developed in collaboration of the municipality of Rotterdam, clusters MO and SO, district municipalities, TNO and Veldacademie.
In 2008 the municipality of Rotterdam has started the development of eighteen assisted living areas divided over eleven district municipalities. Assisted living areas are defined as places where people with care requirements can live as independently as possible, maintaining their control over their daily life. For this to happen there has to be a consistent supply of housing, welfare and healthcare. De monitor is developed to enable steering in development of assisted living areas and providing stakeholders with necessary information.
Veldacademie performed qualitative research under independently living elderly, acquiring insight in their appreciation and needs in relation to the degree of amities in neighbourhoods. With this, not only the quantitative data of the monitor, but also the appreciation and needs of inhabitants are systematically reviewed. Outcomes of focus group research are summarised per neighbourhood and if possible depicted on maps, giving an overview of comments made by inhabitants.
First publication of rapportage Monitor Woonservicegebieden was expected at the end of august, showing results of the first five neighbourhoods. End of November the second publication is expected, showing the qualitative results of all assisted living areas. Moreover the District municipality of Kralingen-Crooswijk shall put more stress on the social aspects of living longer independently.
The results of this research are a fruitful basis for further research that translates outcomes to concrete programmatic and spatial interventions.