SHHA Summit: public/private cooperation key to delivery of sustainable senior housing

Close cooperation between the public and private sectors is key to narrowing the gap between demand and supply, experts agreed at the SHHA Summit which took place on Tuesday in Brussels, hosted by Deloitte, during a panel discussion on ¨Bridging public and private efforts: a path to sustainable senior housing and healthcare¨.

¨When we delivered our guidelines we found that our recommendations instead of being watered down as usually happens were actually strengthened, which shows what an important issue this is for all 27 EU countries¨, said Dana-Carmen Bachmann, Head of Unit, Directorate General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission. ¨Now we are at the implementation stage, which is crucial because the challenges are dramatic. We need more investment in healthy ageing.¨

Member States are adopting different measures but there is a real shift towards more home care and community-based services.

¨Prevention and healthy ageing is key, because the majority of older people want to stay in their neighbourhoods or communities¨, said Aad Koster, Vice-President, European Ageing Network. ¨By 2050 hopefully only people with severe dementia or who need end-of-life care will be in nursing homes and all other seniors will live at home or in communities.¨

The old-fashioned nursing home with 300 or 400 beds is the past, not the future, he said, as new solutions are being developed in several European countries, often from the ground up, to address evolving needs. The challenge is the same, as all populations are ageing fast and all countries are experiencing a shortage of carers, but solutions can be tailored to the specific context. 

¨There are many competing agendas but the challenge of demographic change cannot be ignored¨, said Alina-Nona Petric, Special Protection Specialist, World Bank Group. ¨A close partnership with the public sector is essential and investment in human capital is key.¨

Fire is the acronym the World Bank uses to indicate the main issues at play: the f stands for financing, as private capital plays a key role in implementing public policy; the i stands for innovation, as it is crucial to leverage what is happening in the tech and AI space; the r is regulation which is needed to professionalise the sector but must not be excessive; and the e stands for evaluation, collecting reliable data on what the needs are in order to deliver services that are tailored to the specific group.

¨We are working on access to affordable land and on making financing easier, creating more favourable conditions to help people access the care they need¨, said Isabelle Clerc, Deputy Chief Executive Officer & Real Estate Director, Euryale. ¨We are also working with technology and developing specific AI technology.¨

There are great hopes that technological innovation will improve efficiency, lower costs and solve some of the labour shortages issues, but it is not a magic wand.

¨Innovation will undoubtedly help, provide many different solutions and also reduce costs¨, said Frederic Durousseau, CEO, Clariane Real Estate. ¨But the senior housing and healthcare will remain a human-centric and labour-intensive sector.¨