Ageing at home, co-residence or institutionalisation? Preferred care and residential arrangements of older adults in Spain

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 586-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
CELIA FERNÁNDEZ-CARRO
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Life Stages ◽  
Living Situation ◽  
Ageing In Place ◽  
Residential Preferences ◽  
Explanatory Factors ◽  
The Ideal ◽  
At Home

ABSTRACTThis paper examines the opinions of Spanish older people regarding the ideal living situation in later life – living in their own home, co-residing in a relative's home or institutionalisation – differentiating between two hypothetical situations: healthy ageing and frailty. Data are drawn from the Instituto de Mayores y Servicios Sociales (Institute of Older People and Social Services; IMSERSO) survey Encuesta de Mayores 2010 (Older People Survey 2010), comprising 2,535 individuals aged 65 and over living in private dwellings. The results confirm that residential preferences vary depending on expected health conditions. Remaining in one's own home is preferred when older people foresee a healthy old age, whilst co-residence at a relative's home turns into the favoured solution if older people have to face some physical or cognitive limitation. The particularities of the Spanish context regarding family-oriented values about care responsibilities and the structural deficiency in the provision of formal support, in addition to other socio-demographic, psychological and attitudinal aspects, were explanatory factors of the lower desirability for ageing at home in the case of frailty. The findings question the uniform image of ‘ageing in place’ as a preference, inviting reflections on the need to distinguish between later-life stages and national contexts.

Third sector partnerships for older people: insights from live at home schemes in the UK

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 148-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olumide Adisa
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Third Sector ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Uk ◽  
At Home

Purpose While there is a rich literature on the role of partnerships between statutory agencies and third sector organisations for public service delivery in health and social care, the evidence base on, partnerships between community-based groups and charities for older people in the UK is lacking. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data, the purpose of this paper is to examines partnerships within 46 live at home (LAH) schemes. These schemes were specifically designed to tackle isolation and promote independence and wellbeing by providing a wide range of activities, based on the needs of its members. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on an online survey of 46 LAH schemes and face-to-face interviews with seven scheme managers to capture data on the various partnership initiatives within the LAH schemes. Findings Third sector partnerships for older people varied by type – formal, semi-formal and informal. In addition, third sector partnership working fosters the achievement of clear outcomes for older people who LAH and could be a mechanism for building social capital in communities. The study also identified barriers to developing third sector partnerships within this context. Mapping existing partnerships in LAH schemes were considered to be useful in engaging with partners. LAH scheme managers were better able to identify partnerships that could be deepened and broadened, depending on the desired outcomes. Originality/value To the author’s knowledge, there are few studies on third sector partnership working in LAH schemes for older people. According to Age UK, there are 1.2m chronically lonely older people in the UK. Over half of all people aged 75 and over live alone (ONS, 2015). Loneliness and social isolation in later life are considered to be two of the largest health concerns we face. Scaling up these third sector partnerships may offer a credible way to shore up support for older people who live alone or want to live at home.

scholarly journals Shelter/housing options, supports and interventions for older people experiencing homelessness

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Sarah L. Canham ◽  
Joe Humphries ◽  
Piper Moore ◽  
Victoria Burns ◽  
Atiya Mahmood
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
English Language ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Supported Housing ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Ageing In Place ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Housing Options

Abstract While experiences of later-life homelessness are known to vary, classification of shelter, housing and service models that meet the diverse needs of older people with experiences of homelessness (OPEH) are limited. To address this gap, a scoping review was conducted of shelter/housing options, supports and interventions for OPEH. Fourteen databases were searched for English-language peer-reviewed and/or empirical literature published between 1999 and 2019, resulting in the inclusion of 22 sources. Through a collaborative, iterative process of reading, discussing and coding, data extracted from the studies were organised into six models: (1) long-term care, (2) permanent supportive housing (PSH), including PSH delivered through Housing First, (3) supported housing, (4) transitional housing, (5) emergency shelter settings with health and social supports, and (6) case management and outreach. Programme descriptions and OPEH outcomes are described and contribute to our understanding that multiple shelter/housing options are needed to support diverse OPEH. The categorised models are considered alongside existing ‘ageing in place’ research, which largely focuses on older adults who are housed. Through extending discussions of ageing in the ‘right’ place to diverse OPEH, additional considerations are offered. Future research should explore distinct sub-populations of OPEH and how individual-level supports for ageing in place must attend to mezzo- and macro-level systems and policies.

scholarly journals Older People’s Preferences for Housing and Environment Characteristics

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 5723
Author(s):  
Emma Mulliner ◽  
Mike Riley ◽  
Vida Maliene
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Later Life ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Ageing In Place ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Age In Place ◽  
Key Drivers

Population ageing presents significant challenges for many countries, one of which is the provision of adequate housing. Developing understanding of the needs and preferences of ageing societies will be crucial in order to assist in the provision of suitable housing and communities that are sustainable in the long term. While a preference to ‘age in place’ is clear in the literature, comparatively less academic research is available on older people’s preferences for more specific housing and environment attributes. The aim of this study is to identify the main housing and environment characteristics that are linked to the health and wellbeing of the elderly and determine the preferences for such characteristics via a survey with UK residents aged 55+. The results indicate a strong preference for independent living and an increasing desire for bungalows in later life. Housing conditions, energy efficiency, thermal comfort, and home adaptions to facilitate ageing in place are particularly important housing characteristics to older people. The location and environment are also key drivers of housing preferences; a safe neighbourhood, accessibility to amenities, public transport, and a clean and walkable environment are particularly important. Preferences varied with age, but gender has a less significant impact on the preferences expressed. The findings of this study will be valuable for stakeholders engaged in housing policy and provision for older people.

scholarly journals Moving residence in later life: actively shaping place and wellbeing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manik Gopinath ◽  
Vikki Entwistle ◽  
Tim Kelly ◽  
Barbara Illsley
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Older People ◽  
Capability Approach ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Policy Discourse ◽  
Ageing In Place ◽  
Residential Settings

Policy discourse favours the idea of “ageing in place” but many older people move home and into different kinds of residential settings. This article extends the understanding of how relocation can promote as well as diminish older people’s well-being. Using relational understandings of place and capabilities (people’s freedoms and opportunities to be and to do what they value) we explored well-being across the relocation trajectories of 21 people aged 65–91 years living in diverse residential settings in Scotland. We found that a diverse array of capabilities mattered for well-being and that relocation was often motivated by concerns to secure “at-risk” capabilities for valued activities and relationships. Moving residence impacted several other capabilities, in addition to these, both, positively and negatively. We suggest that a capability approach offers a valuable lens for understanding and supporting well-being through behavioural models of late-life relocation.

Sustaining the self in later life: supporting older people in the community

2001 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
DENISE TANNER
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Older Person ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
The Uk

This paper emanates from a small-scale qualitative study, currently in progress, looking at the implications for older people of decisions made by a social services department that they are ineligible for service provision. While the operation of eligibility criteria in the UK has been shown to exclude an increasing number of prospective users from receiving a service, little is known about how those refused a service contend with their difficulties or the implications these strategies have for them. The paper focuses on themes that have emerged during the first phases of the study in relation to how older people endeavour to manage their ‘unmet need’. It is suggested that a key integrative theme concerns their efforts to maintain a positive sense of self indicating, it is argued, the need for processes involved in the seeking, receiving and giving of help to be managed in a way that sustains the sense of self of the older person.

The housing situation and residential strategies of older people in France

2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 753-777 ◽  
Author(s):  
CATHERINE BONVALET ◽  
JIM OGG
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Residential Mobility ◽  
Baby Boom ◽  
Current Trend ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Residential Preferences ◽  
Second Home ◽  
Family Connections

ABSTRACTDuring the later 20th century, France experienced a dramatic turn around in the quality of its housing. The current cohort of older people witnessed and lived through the transformation. Most people aged over 50 years in France are homeowners and almost one-in-four own a second home. Although the oldest age groups are much less residentially mobile than younger people, home moves are more likely around the age of retirement or widowhood. In recent years, new forms of residential mobility in later life have been emerging. These include a weakening of the commonly observed pattern of a permanent drift away from cities and towns towards areas of childhood origin or family connections. One current trend suggests a preference for preserving residential links with areas of relatively high population density and good access to amenities, coupled with being able to spend time elsewhere, whether in second homes, in children's and grandchildren's homes, or elsewhere. The arrival of the post-1945 baby-boom cohort at retirement has begun, and this may increase the current level of residential mobility and lead to more diverse types, although the change will depend on the development of the housing market as well as residential preferences in old age.

scholarly journals How do unfamiliar environments convey meaning to older people? Urban dimensions of placelessness and attachment

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Phillips ◽  
Nigel Walford ◽  
Ann Hockey
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Sense Of Place ◽  
Place Attachment ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Conceptual Frameworks ◽  
Ageing In Place ◽  
The Relationship

The discussion within gerontology of the relationship between older people and their environment (place attachment and ageing in place in particular) has been based on an assumption of familiarity with place. Yet increasingly older people experience unfamiliar environments. This can be through increased travelling as tourists and visitors to other towns and cities, through redevelopment of town centres or through cognitive decline, where the familiar becomes unfamiliar. This article reviews the conceptual frameworks underpinning the concepts of place attachment and unfamiliarity and questions the relevance of such concepts for understanding urban lifestyles in later life. We demonstrate that even in an unfamiliar environment older people can develop a sense of place through the aesthetics and usability of the environment as well as through shared memories. Consequently this has relevance for how we plan our environments to make them age-friendly.

scholarly journals A Home for Life? A Critical Perspective on Housing Choice for “Downsizers” in the UK

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Park Adam ◽  
Ziegler Friederike
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Ageing In Place ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Risk Of Falls ◽  
Age Appropriate ◽  
The Uk

A range of policy, research and media commentary has highlighted the link between housing, health, and wellbeing in later life, with discourses around “ageing in place” and “downsizing” emerging as particularly dominant. Proponents of “downsizing” strategies argue that the motivation for older people should be self-evident: difficulties with maintenance, heating bills, getting upstairs, and the increasing risk of falls are all commonly referred to. This outlook also highlights the economic benefits of downsizing to “age-appropriate” housing, particularly in relation to potential savings for health and social care budgets. Drawing upon participatory research with older people in the city of Sheffield, UK, this paper critiques current practices and discourses around the commissioning, design, and management of purpose-built retirement housing. The paper calls for an urgent need to reframe housing from a lifecourse perspective and to recognize older people as active citizens, for whom their homes are essential to their continuing to contribute to family life and society. We argue for a more nuanced debate around “downsizing” and “ageing in place”, and call for policy-makers to recognize the risk of spatially and socially marginalizing older people through current limitations in housing choices. The paper concludes by setting out a number of measures to improve the choice, quality, and flexibility of housing for later life.

scholarly journals Self-Perceptions and Behavior of Older People Living Alone

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (23) ◽  
pp. 8739
Author(s):  
Jesús Molina-Mula ◽  
Julia Gallo-Estrada ◽  
Antonio González-Trujillo
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Family Assistance ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Physical Autonomy ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
At Home

It is currently acknowledged that older people prefer to live in their own home, even if they are lonely or disabled in some way. The factors that condition aging among older people members of the population living alone include the following: the existence or absence of a social network, gender, the home or place where they live, their capacity to function, and welfare and health resources. The main goal of this study was to explore the perceptions of older peoples over 75 years old about adaptation strategies and the social, gender, physical autonomy, and socio-health resource factors that determine their permanence at home. The authors used a qualitative methodology, within a critical social framework, based on the theories of Pierre Bourdieu. When the interviewees’ discourse was analyzed, four main categories were evident: (a) “A desire to stay at home”, (b) “Changes and every-day aspects of domestic life”, (c) “Reliance on social and family assistance”, and (d) “The use of social services and resources”. In synthesis, the participants questioned the benefits of the type of home life offered by members of the family. They believed that, in some cases, this option did not overcome the problem of loneliness or the need to hire assistance. The findings of the study revealed that one needs to dispel the notion of geriatric care as a form of charity, and to distinguish between the activities of caring, providing support, and offering companionship to someone. It is important to identify products designed for older people who might live for a long time.

The temporal aspects of mobility intentions: older people's reflections on present and future support arrangements

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Rachel Barken
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Ageing In Place ◽  
The Past ◽  
Interpretive Analysis ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Temporal Aspects ◽  
Time Work

AbstractDiscourses on later-life housing and care are polarised. Ageing in place – typically in one's long-term dwelling – is often presented as the most desirable living arrangement, while moving to a congregate environment tends to be regarded as a last resort. Such polarised discourses obscure older people's experiences as they contemplate needs for housing, health and social care. To expand current understandings of mobility intentions, this paper examines ‘time work’ – or actions undertaken to exert some agency over time – as older people with chronic health conditions and disabilities navigate present and future support arrangements. Based on an interpretive analysis of qualitative interviews with 22 older persons receiving home care in Ontario, Canada, I identify three themes that highlight the temporal aspects of mobility intentions: (a) maintaining continuity with the past and present, (b) constructing alternative futures and (c) facing precarity. Focusing on time work shows how people make sense of ageing in place and/or relocating not only in relation to their physical, social and psychological capacities, but also in relation to perceptions of the past, present and future. Time work, moreover, has implications for feelings of security in the present and a sense of control over the future. Based on these findings, I make suggestions for developing a comprehensive continuum of supports, so all older people can make meaningful choices concerning housing and care.

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