Abstract

Social activity is considered a primary factor in prolonging health and independence in later life, alongside physical activity. While population ageing reflects increasing life expectancy, the risk of living longer in poor health remains. In response to this risk, the United Kingdom developed extra-care schemes, introducing a housing and care model that combines social activities with flexible support to promote healthy and independent living in later life. Despite these potential benefits, observations that male tenants engage less with social opportunities than female tenants highlight a gap in understanding the social needs of men in care environments. This study explores how male social engagement is understood and influenced in extra-care schemes through a dual-perspective approach, combining service–user and service–provider viewpoints. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six male tenants (mean age = 84 years) and five scheme managers across four extra-care schemes. Reflexive Thematic Analysis revealed barriers to male social engagement related to gender imbalanced environments, poor health, social identity disruption, and widowhood. Conversely, group membership and reliable family involvement function as protective resources that sustain identity roles and support networks for men living in a care environment. Developing male-oriented community links and peer support initiatives within extra-care, alongside appropriate training and psychoeducation for staff and tenants, may be effective when supporting men in care settings. Future research would benefit from broader multi-stakeholder samples to address the limitations of this study.

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