Characteristics of health care interventions in affordable senior housing: A scoping review

•Of the 4.5 million publicly subsidized housing units in the U.S., more than one-third are occupied by an adult over the age of 62.•In this scoping review, 23 of 28 studies showed co-located housing and health care services were associated with improvement in the health or health care services use of older housing residents.•Nurses, occupational therapists, and other allied healthcare staff play an important role supporting the health of older adults in affordable senior housing. Older adults in affordable senior housing often experience chronic illness and unmet health care needs. This review describes studies reporting the characteristics and primary outcomes of health care interventions for older adults living in affordable senior housing. A scoping review After a systematic search in three databases, a team of investigators screened 1,284 titles and abstracts and selected 31 records with reports on 28 studies for review. Narrative synthesis was used to describe studies of interventions in senior housing and primary outcomes. Studies typically used observational designs and added clinical staff, such as nurses and social workers, to provide health care interventions in groups (n = 15) or with individuals (n = 13). Outcomes were classified in four groups: wellness, symptom management, health care use, and physical function. A subset of 23 studies (82.1%) reported effective interventions. Findings identify innovative interventions to promote health in affordable senior housing.