The effect of age desegregation on environmental quality for elderly living in public/publicly subsidized housing

A random sample of elderly living in age-desegregated public housing for the elderly is compared with a random sample of elderly living in age-homogeneous Section 202 housing in the same urban area. Findings suggest that the current trend of mixing young handicapped persons with elderly tenants is associated with a decline in environmental quality on three dimensions--social networks, territoriality, and global measures of satisfaction. The differences are not explained away by pre-existing factors, such as social and economic resources and service provision.     

The Influence of the Experienced Residential Environment on Old People's Life Satisfaction

This paper investigates the extent to which the subjectively interpreted qualities of the housing environment influence the life satisfaction (LSI-A) of elderly residents. It assesses the relative importance of social and physical environmental attributes while controlling for the effects of an elderly population's personal characteristics and activity patterns. Data were obtained from structured interviews given to a random sample of 400 persons aged 60 and older living in a middle class urban community. Results from several multiple regression analyses revealed the statistically significant (p < .05) direct effects of 9 social and physical environment experiences on old people's life satisfaction. Together they increased from 35% to 49% the amount of statistical variation that was explained by old people's personal characteristics alone. The psychological basis for the impact of this experienced environment on life satisfaction is discussed.     

Social support, disability and independent living of elderly persons in the United States

This article examines the effects of the availability of kin and disability on the ability of elderly persons to live alone in the United States. The first part of the article uses a sample of women aged 65 and over from the 1980 census to study the factors associated with both living in group housing and living alone. Disability and absence of a spouse or children are strongly associated with living in group housing, whereas lack of disability and lack of children are associated with living alone. In the second part, data from the Supplement on Aging to the 1984 National Health Interview Survey are used to investigate the source and amount of help received among those with difficulties in performing Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) or Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs). Those living alone or with nonrelatives are most likely to rely on paid help and this is more likely if they have few living children.     

Congregate Housing for the Low and Moderate Income Elderly-A Needed Federal State Partnership

The doubling of the 85+ cohorts by the year 2000, and the further similar growth of the 75+ cohorts is causing a major health care crisis. Up to 40 percent of the elderly institutionalized may be inappropriately placed; a more effective approach, and options for home-based care are needed. Congregate housing is one major option for low and moderate income elderly, particularly for those living in Federal of locally-subsidized housing. The current, successful Congregate Housing Services Program should be ameded and expanded into a new Federal/State PARTNERSHIP for congregate housing.     

A Study of Residential Condition and Satisfaction of the Elderly in China

This article investigates the current housing reality and subjective appraisal of the elderly in China by presenting the latest empirical evidence. Based on a literature review, survey data of September 2009 were analyzed, which included 692 Chinese households with a focus on their elderly members. Major findings were the following: (1) affordability was an outstanding issue, with 56.6% of the elderly respondents feeling overburdened by housing costs; (2) facilities in the homes were less of an issue than their community facilities, which were inadequate especially for the handicapped; (3) the elderly respondents as a whole seemed to enjoy their housing property, though significant differences in homeownership and residential satisfaction were found among them; (4) differences were also found among the elderly in terms of access to healthcare (including emergency help), transportation, and housing environment; and (5) residential satisfaction of the elderly were related to their occupational status before retirement, income, health, distance to healthcare facilities, living arrangements, homeownership, housing conditions, social contacts/visits, and gender. Implications of the findings are discussed for research and policy considerations.     

The Influence of Marital Status and Age on the Housing Behavior of Older Southern Women

Age and marital status are frequently cited as predictors of the housing and living arrangements of individuals and families. This study investigates the influence of marital status and age on the housing behavior of older Southern women. The sample consisted of 227 widowed female houshold heads and 227 married females living with their spouse. These subjects were part of larger sample of 1,804 households living in non-metropolitan areas in seven southern states. It is a contributing study to the S141 Southern Regional Housing Project "Housing for Low and Moderate Income Families." The analysis strategy was executed on six groupings of dependent variables. These were: (a) current housing situation, (b) housing costs, (c) geographic mobility, (d) housing satisfaction, (e) decision making and (f) consumer acceptance of housing alternatives. The results suggest that widowhood and age are both relatively important determinants of housing behavior and attitudes. The effects of widowhood appeared to be strongest in determining the housing situation, housing satisfaction and several attitudes toward housing alternatives. The effects of age appeared most powerful in determining housing costs, mobility and several attitudes about housing alternatives.     

Intact or in tatters? Family care of older women and men in urban Mexico

This article asks how family relationships affect the living conditions of low-income elderly people in urban Mexico. The existence of so many elderly women living alone in the country is at odds with cultural beliefs portraying mothers as the archetypal recipients of family charity. It is evident that there is little state provision of accommodation for the elderly, forcing older people to rely on their families for care. Living with family is usually thought to be a better option for older people. Yet many poorer families cannot afford to provide care, and some are not willing to do so. In addition, families treat elderly men and women differently, with significant consequences for housing conditions and well-being of men and women in later life.     

LIVING ALONE IN OLD AGE:

We examine the social organization of "living alone" using both the narratives of elderly women and the academic, professional, and popular cultural textual discourses in which ideological practices are organized about this manner of living and housing. Using institutional ethnography, we examine the organizing practices of living alone through an analysis of the gender and class relations in the institution of housing. We argue that housing regimes are the work of those involved: ordinary people, builders, developers, bankers, psychologists, gerontologists, social workers, foundations, federal employees, demographers, and magazine publishers. The work activities are ordered, successfully or not, by culturally standard idealizations of old age relevant to the ideologies of the various participants in the housing regime. Such practices make women's own knowledge invisible and authorize the housing regime to define and ameliorate the situation of living alone, especially with respect to the maintenance of "independence" under contemporary capitalism.     

Psychosocial Well-Being of the Elderly and Their Perception of Matured Estate in Singapore

This article explores various relationships between the elderly's psychosocial well-being and components of aging-friendly community (continuity, compensation, connection, challenge, and contribution), in order to understand their perception of a matured estate and to discuss implications in housing neighborhood urban design. Interviews with elderly residents living in Bukit Merah (Redhill), one of the matured housing estates in Singapore with a high percentage of elderly residents, were conducted to understand how eldercare infrastructure and social spaces developed within the fabric of a high-rise, high-density public housing estate can support or inhibit their psychosocial well-being, as indicated by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Our results postulate that different groups of elderly form friendships and participate in activities in both formal social service centers and informal public spaces. The friendships formed in these places and the convenience of amenities around their houses may affect their perception of their current residences. While the elderly residents are generally satisfied with physical infrastructure, a comprehensive, integrated urban design is further needed to facilitate physical activities, social interactions, and active aging in the elderly in order to enhance their psychosocial well-being.     

Mental Health Needs and Supportive Services for Elderly and Disabled Residents

Abstract

This study longitudinally assesses the impact that the provision of supportive services has on the mental well-being of the elderly and disabled population living in independent housing developments. The results indicate that the use of supportive services by the mentally ill allowed them to overcome initial lower functional status and achieve a level of mental functioning virtually similar to that of the total resident population. Thus, it is argued that independent living facilities with supportive services can certainly be a successful and cost effective model for a number of frail elderly and mentally ill residents.     

PREDICTING MORTALITY AMONG INDEPENDENTLY LIVING RURAL ELDERLY:

The problem of predicting mortality among rural elderly (65 years and older) living independently is examined using 20-year panel data derived from a random multistage cluster sample. Fifteen independent variables, including social networks, age, sex, and health status, were hypothesized on theoretical and empirical grounds to predict mortality. Face-to-face structured interviews were conducted with the same respondents in 1966, 1974, and 1986/87. Logistic regression establishes that a model comprising age, sex, participation in formal organizations, relative and children association, and general health status is a powerful predictor of mortality. The authors conclude that the more heterogeneous formal, or secondary, social networks which may enhance self esteem are most functional for the elderly.     

Housing experiences of former foster youth: How do they fare in comparison to other youth?

Research indicates that foster youth tend to fare poorly in a number of domains in the transition to adulthood, and the shift to independent living may be particularly challenging. However, it is unclear whether negative housing outcomes are attributable to foster care history or if they are due to other risk factors. This study uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 to compare housing outcomes for foster youth to a matched sample of youth who share similar risk factors and to an unmatched sample. Results indicate that foster youth struggle more in the transition to independent living in comparison to both groups, showing higher rates of homelessness, less housing stability, poorer neighborhood quality, and more reliance on public housing assistance. The paper explores how factors related to foster care and confounding risk factors that tend to have higher prevalence among foster youth may contribute to these outcomes.     

Elderly-Friendly Neighborhoods: Case Lauttasaari

The way in which the qualities of neighborhoods are perceived is an important environmental factor that affects independent living and life satisfaction during old age. The aim of this study was to include the elderly as active participants in society. How environments are planned and built has an impact on independent coping and inclusion. Involving elderly in the planning and assessment process of developing local neighborhoods is important. Accessible housing and local service networks—private, public, and third sector—promote aging in place. Cross-sector collaboration within city services is important for planning user-friendly living environments in an integrated way.     

Which Elderly Home Owners Are Interested in Accessory Apartment Conversion and Home-Sharing

Previous researchers have found high levels of demand for, and utilziation of housing programs by the better off elderly. This pattern of self-selectivity is not shown in the present article which examines the determinants of interest in accessory apartment conversion and homesharing among a sample of elderly homeowners in the Baltimore metropolitan area. Respondents who were under financial stress, as indicated by large uninsured medical expenses, and who were in poor health, were especially interested in these programs. The results indicate the importance of implementing accessory apartment conversion and homesharing in conjunction with counseling, low interest housing rehabilitation loans and other ancillary services.     

Estimation of elderly housing demand in an Asian city: Methodological issues and policy implications

Projection of elderly housing demands and needs has always been complex because of the volatility and heterogeneity of the factors involved. This paper argues that in a society where the tradition of elderly parents co-habiting with the children's family is breaking up, the projection of elderly housing demands for planning and policy purposes may not be scientifically possible. This owes to the impossibility to gauge housing affordability of the elderly by conventional indicators and the lack of information on the market behaviour of the elderly alone. This paper suggests the analysis of pre-retirement income, housing arrangements and housing aspiration to help elderly housing service providers to make more informed decisions. However, the projection of housing needs is more plausible if the underlying demographic projection models take care of major demographic trends such as household sizes and types, and if surveys are carried out to gauge housing aspirations of contemporary elderly persons. By using the above methods, the paper projected the future elderly housing needs and demands of Hong Kong, and found that public rental housing was perceived as the most secure type of housing regardless of affordability. This preference may reflect anomalies in elderly policies, particularly the lack of housing choices to suit the varied needs and affordability.     

The Roles of Relationship With Family and Life Values in the Housing Choices of Elderly Koreans

Housing choice is a significant factor in forecasting the housing market. In an aging population in which the wealth of the elderly is found mostly in housing equity, the housing choices of the elderly are an increasingly important yet underrepresented research theme. In addition to lower income and greater leisure time, the change of family relationships of the elderly are likely to result in significantly different housing choices from those made by younger groups. This article investigates the roles of family relationships and life values in the housing choices (tenure and location) of elderly Koreans. Subjective life satisfaction and propensity for expenditure were found to be significant determinants in the choice of housing tenure, whereas the choice of location is influenced by circumstances, especially their relationship with their children. These findings provide new insight into the Asian housing market, in which the elderly of traditional large families have a children-oriented mindset and maintain a geographic proximity with their children despite a growing trend toward family nuclearization.     

Housing for Older People in Iceland: Apartments and Nursing Homes

The first residential and nursing homes in Iceland were built in the early 1920s, and the first apartments for older people in the early 1970s. Most of the existing housing for older persons was built in the last 30 years. Legislative provisions on housing and particularly on assisted living have not changed significantly since laws relating to the affairs of the elderly were first passed in 1983. While approximately 90% of older people in Iceland own their own home and the primary stated goal of the government is to support independent living, official policy relies on placement in nursing homes. Services and care at home, provided by social and home healthcare services, has not been developed to the same extent as in the other Nordic countries. Clearer guidelines on integrated service housing are needed to reach the government's primary stated goal. Placing more emphasis on delivering services, care, and rehabilitation to people living in the community could shorten individuals’ length of stay in hospitals, delay admission to nursing homes, and better meet the expectations of older people for independent living.     

Predictors of Use of Senior Centers by Elderly Chinese Immigrants in Canada

Abstract

This study examined the prevalence and predictors of use of senior centers by a random sample of 1,537 elderly Chinese immigrants in Canada. A service utilization model of Andersen and Newman (1973) was adopted as the theoretical framework to examine the predicting effects of predisposing, enabling, and need factors. The findings showed that 28.8% of the elderly Chinese immigrants reported using a senior center within the past year. Having a religion, living alone, having stronger Chinese ethnic identity and stronger social support were the significant predictors identified, as shown in the hierarchical logistic regression findings.