Older People Living in Squalor: Ethical and Practical Dilemmas

Abstract

Studies highlighting diversity in ageing tend to focus on how retirement, illness, and the ageing process are experienced differently according to gender, age, sexual preference, location, or ethnicity. Although some research explores the multiplicity of the meanings of home, few studies have examined the diversity of living conditions that can be found in the homes of older people living in the community. Understanding the range of physical conditions that can exist within private residences is important given that, within the current policy context of ageing-in-place, the home is a site for the provision of services to older people. The present article focuses on older people in Sydney (NSW, Australia) who live in such extremely unclean conditions that they have been labelled as living in squalor. We first investigate the origin of the term “squalor” and the policy responses to these situations in the US and UK. We then focus on the Australian context and explore in detail the Squalor Program at the Eastern Suburbs Community Options Programs at The Benevolent Society in Sydney as an example of a program to address squalor. Finally, we examine two situations of squalor involving older people to highlight the complex issues that arise in these situations and to draw out implications for social work practice with older people.