Independent living, designed for the future Scotland

In an article for The Scotsman published on 21st January 2026, our Chief Executive, Debbie Collins, highlighted the importance of a national independent living strategy for Scotland. You can read the full article below.

Scotland is changing. Quietly, steadily, and faster than many realise.

The question is not whether Scotland will age. We already are.

The real question is whether we design for that future - or react to it. And how can we harness data and artificial intelligence to not only support people to stay in their own homes, but to inform a coherent, intelligent strategy to enable this?

At present, Scotland does not have a national strategy for independent living. That absence matters. Without a clear, shared direction, decisions are made in silos, innovation remains fragmented, and opportunity is lost. Housing is treated as background infrastructure, rather than what it truly is, the place where independence, health and daily life intersect.  

If we want people to live well for longer, and let’s face it, we do, homes must be designed to support that outcome. And digital technology must be part of the foundation, not an afterthought.

Too often, technology in our homes is framed as an add-on. A device. A pilot. A short-term project. These efforts are well intentioned, but they are not equal to the scale of demographic change underway. What is needed is something more deliberate. Systems designed around people’s lives, not organisational processes.

Independent living is not about leaving people on their own to deal with the challenges ageing can bring. It is about doing things better, with the right support, in the right place, at the right time.

At this week’s Digital Health & Social Care Scotland Conference in Edinburgh, I will be explaining that the case for change is clear. There are already close to half a million people aged 75 and over in Scotland. By the late 2030s, that number is expected to rise to around 800,000. This is not a marginal shift. It will shape housing demand, health services, care provision and public finances at a national scale.

Our response to this needs to start with homes that adapt as people’s needs change. Homes that are digitally connected by default. Homes that anticipate risk rather than respond to crisis. It extends to services that are proactive, joined up, and intuitive – using data and digital tools to support earlier intervention, smoother transitions, and better outcomes. 

When digital housing works well, it is almost invisible.

It is the boiler fault detected before it becomes a breakdown, avoiding cold homes, disruption and emergency callouts. It is sensors that monitor air quality, identifying rising humidity so damp and mould can be tackled before they affect health. It is subtle changes in movement within a home that flag potential concern early, allowing support to be offered before a fall, a crisis, or a hospital admission. 

At a more everyday level, it is assistive technology that provides medication prompts, helping people stay on track with treatment. It is simple reminders that support routine, confidence and connection. Small quiet interventions that collectively make a significant difference to independence and wellbeing.

What links all of this is data.

Homes can now generate far more information than ever before – about environment, usage patterns and risk. On its own, that volume of data would overwhelm any human operator. This is where artificial intelligence (AI) becomes essential. Not to replace professional judgment, but to help make sense of complexity at scale.

One example of this approach can be seen at Bield. Our Independent Living Approach (ILA) focuses on how housing, technology and services can work together to support choice, autonomy and wellbeing. This includes investment in assistive technology, modern alarm receiving services, and digital platforms that improve responsiveness and insight. 

In partnership with Archangel, a data analytics company with a mission to transform lives through predictive analytics, Bield is exploring how AI can analyse patterns across housing, health and support data to identify emerging risks earlier. This value is not prediction for its own sake, but prioritisation -  helping staff focus attention where it will have the greatest preventative impact. Earlier insight enables calmer responses, better use of professional time, and support that feels timely rather than reactive. 

This fundamentally changes what independent living can mean. It shifts the system from responding to failure to supporting stability. From crisis management to prevention. From fragmented interventions to joined-up support designed around people’s lives.

Organisations responsible for people’s homes, like social housing providers, are well placed to help deliver this shift, because homes are where daily life, health and independence meet. Those responsible for homes over the long term see patterns other do not - what prevents crisis, what accelerates it, and where early support makes the greatest difference. 

But technology alone is not the point.

What matters is how technology is designed to be used. Technology should simplify, not complicate. It should feel supportive, not intrusive. And it should be inclusive by design.

Digital exclusion is a real concern, particularly for older people. Any serious approach to digital housing must therefore be matched by investment in accessibility, training and support. This is not about forcing people online. It is about giving people options - and ensuring those options genuinely improve experience.

This is why Scotland needs a national independent living strategy. 

Such a strategy would provide clarity.  It would set expectations for how housing contributes to prevention and wellbeing. It would define what ‘digital ready’ means for homes and services. And it would create conditions for innovation at scale, rather than relying on isolated examples of good practice.

Just as importantly, it would align housing, health, social care and technology around shared outcomes. Independence. Prevention. Public value. These outcomes do not belong to one system. They sit between systems, and they require leadership prepared to design across boundaries. 

The cost of not doing this is already visible. Rising demand for acute care. Delayed discharges. Increased pressure on families and carers. People losing independence earlier than necessary, not because it is inevitable, but because the systems are not designed to support them differently.

Demographic change is not a future problem. It is a present day reality. Every year that goes by without a coherent strategy locks in higher costs and fewer choices.

Housing has always been more than bricks and mortar. In the years ahead, it will increasingly be the interface between people, technology and care. A well-designed home will not just shelter. It will support. It will connect. It will enable independence.

If Scotland is serious about prevention, sustainability and enabling people to live well for longer, then a national independent living strategy is no longer optional. It is essential - and digital housing must be central to it.

You can also read Debbie's article in The Scotsman here: Independent living, designed for the future Scotland - Debbie Collins, chief executive of Bield