1
|
Ageing Well in Small Villages: What Keeps Older Adults Happy? Environmental Indicators of Residential Satisfaction in Four Dutch Villages. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19073922. [PMID: 35409604 PMCID: PMC8997627 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19073922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
This article aims to contribute to the existing literature about liveability in rural areas by explicitly focusing on the level of residential satisfaction of older adults (55+) in four small Dutch villages. We strive not only to identify the key indicators of residential satisfaction among older villagers but also to better understand how these indicators affect their (daily) life. Moreover, in line with the person–environment fit tradition, we differentiate according to the capabilities and vulnerabilities of older villagers. To this end, we use a mixed-method approach, in which we combine survey data with qualitative data collected with photovoice in the four villages. The findings indicate that older adults’ perceptions of spatial, social and functional aspects of the living environment are related to the degree of residential satisfaction overall. However, these perceptions appear to be strongly intertwined, especially perceptions about spatial characteristics, local identity and connectedness. Older adults who are hindered by health problems in undertaking daily activities experience a lower level of person–environment fit, which is reflected in a lower level of residential satisfaction. However, this relationship between subjective health and residential satisfaction can only be partially explained by different perceptions of the spatial, social and functional environment.
Collapse
|
2
|
Choi YJ. Understanding Aging in Place: Home and Community Features, Perceived Age-Friendliness of Community, and Intention Toward Aging in Place. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2021; 62:46-55. [PMID: 34043782 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnab070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Promoting age-friendliness of communities and supporting aging in place (AIP) are of great importance. Based on processes of belonging and agency, which suggest that person-environment interactions influence residents' evaluations and behaviors related to the environment, this study aims to examine the interrelationship between the availability of age-friendly features, perceived age-friendliness of community, and intention toward AIP. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This study used the 2015 AARP Age-Friendly Community Survey, which includes 66 home and neighborhood features under the eight domains specified by the WHO's Age-Friendly Cities Guidelines. A series of regression and mediational analyses were conducted to test hypotheses. RESULTS Overall, a greater availability of age-friendly features was positively associated with perceived age-friendliness of community and AIP intention. The relationship between age-friendly features and AIP intention was mediated by perceived age-friendliness of community (50.3% to 96% of the total effects). When perceived age-friendliness of community was introduced to models, the direct effects of housing, outdoor spaces and buildings, and transportation domains remained significant. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS Findings suggest that a greater availability of age-friendly features influences older adults' perception on their community, leading to the development of a desire to age-in-place, supporting processes of belonging and agency. Domains of housing, outdoor spaces and buildings, and transportation may be the most important features in promoting age-friendliness of community and the key determinants of aging in place. Policy makers and practitioners may need to prioritize promoting age-friendly built environment before social environment in building age-friendly communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yeon Jin Choi
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ryu SI, Cho B, Chang SJ, Ko H, Yi YM, Noh EY, Cho HR, Park YH. Factors Related to Self-Confidence to Live Alone in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study. BMC Geriatr 2021; 21:291. [PMID: 33947334 PMCID: PMC8097788 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-021-02214-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many older adults prefer to live alone in their own homes, with age-related issues in physical movement, regardless of their cultural background. Importantly, however, to identify the features of successfully ageing in place (AIP), and foster independent living among these individuals, this study explored their level of self-confidence to live alone and its related factors. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study using secondary data from an earlier study with older adults living alone in South Korea recruited by convenience sampling methods (N = 936, mean age = 77.1 years, 76.1% female). Data regarding the general, health-related, and social characteristics as well as self-confidence to live alone were collected via face-to-face interviews in 2019. Self-confidence to live alone was measured with a numeric rating scale of 0 to 10. RESULTS The average self-confidence score to live alone was 6.59. A regression analysis showed that mould exposure at home, depression, emergency department visits, and loneliness hinder self-confidence to live alone. Meanwhile, such self-confidence was facilitated by independency in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), interactions with family members, social service utilisation, and social support. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that healthcare providers need to consider the importance of self-confidence to live alone and influencing functional, mental, social, and environmental factors to promote quality of life as well as successful AIP for older adults living alone. Further, self-confidence to live alone could be a new practical index in the field of health and ageing to screen the successful AIP of older adults living alone.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- So Im Ryu
- College of Nursing, The Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 103, Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - BeLong Cho
- Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, 103, Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
- Institute on Aging, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 71 Ihwajang-Gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-810, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun Ju Chang
- College of Nursing, The Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 103, Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
- College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul, 103, Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Hana Ko
- College of Nursing, Gachon University, 191 Hambakmoero, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, 21936, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu Mi Yi
- College of Nursing, Kyungnam College of Information and Technology, 45 Jurye-ro, Sasang-gu, Busan, 47011, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Young Noh
- College of Nursing, The Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 103, Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye Ryung Cho
- College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul, 103, Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeon-Hwan Park
- College of Nursing, The Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 103, Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea.
- College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul, 103, Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Loibl C, Haurin DR, Brown JK, Moulton S. The Relationship Between Reverse Mortgage Borrowing, Domain and Life Satisfaction. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2020; 75:869-878. [PMID: 30137577 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gby096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Reverse mortgages allow adults aged 62 years and older to borrow against the equity in their homes without incurring monthly loan repayments. This study examines the relationship of reverse mortgage borrowing with older adults' satisfaction with their financial situation, housing, health, and daily life/leisure as well as with life as a whole. METHOD A new national data set of 1,088 older adults, comprised of loan data, credit histories, and responses to a phone survey, was created. Our estimation strategy compares reverse mortgage borrowers to older adults who obtained mandatory counseling but not a reverse mortgage. RESULTS Reverse mortgage borrowers have significantly higher financial and housing satisfaction compared to nonborrowers; no differences were found for health, daily life/leisure, and general satisfaction. These satisfaction domains contribute differently to general satisfaction for reverse mortgage borrowers relative to nonborrowers: housing satisfaction has a greater influence for borrowers and health a greater influence for nonborrowers. DISCUSSION Our study provides new knowledge about the longer-term outcomes of reverse mortgage borrowers. The positive association of reverse mortgage borrowing for housing and financial satisfaction and, in turn, general satisfaction, provides insights regarding borrower experiences with this controversial financial tool.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cäzilia Loibl
- Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Donald R Haurin
- Department of Economics, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Julia K Brown
- John Glenn College of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Stephanie Moulton
- John Glenn College of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University, Columbus
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Zhang F, Li D. Multiple Linear Regression-Structural Equation Modeling Based Development of the Integrated Model of Perceived Neighborhood Environment and Quality of Life of Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study in Nanjing, China. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:E4933. [PMID: 31817493 PMCID: PMC6950374 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16244933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Due to the poor functioning in daily living activities, community-dwelling older adults spend more time in their neighborhood environment. The perceived neighborhood environment is crucial to their quality of life (QoL). To explore the complex influences of perceived neighborhood environment on QoL, a questionnaire was designed to measure their perception of each factor of neighborhood environment and each domain of QoL. Based on collected data, the reliability test was applied to revise the questionnaire. Multiple linear regression (MLR) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were adopted to hypothesize and test the integrated model for community-dwelling older adults. The results show that community-dwelling older adults' perceptions of neighbor support, facilities related to physical exercise and recreation, and accessibility to facilities impact their overall QoL with diverse coefficients of 0.437, 0.312, and 0.295, respectively; neighbor support (0.207) on physical health; sidewalk condition (0.134), natural environment (0.260), and facilities related to daily life (0.165) on psychological health; and neighbor support (0.298), facilities related to daily life (0.206), and design-related safety (0.225) on social relationship. This revealed that perceptions of neighborhood environment have diverse impacts on their QoL. This study can provide targeted retrofit strategies for communities to enhance QoL of community-dwelling older adults efficiently.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fan Zhang
- Department of Construction and Real Estate, School of Civil Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dezhi Li
- Engineering Research Center of Building Equipment, Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, Jiangsu, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
How the Urban Neighborhood Environment Influences the Quality of Life of Chinese Community-Dwelling Older Adults: An Influence Model of “NE-QoL”. SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su11205739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Due to functional impairment and low mobility, the sphere of activities of older adults often shrinks and they rely on their living environment more. Especially for urban community-dwelling older adults who are aging in place, the urban neighborhood environment affects their quality of life (QoL) heavily. This study aims to explore how the urban neighborhood environment affects QoL of community-dwelling older adults and develop a mediation model called “Neighborhood Environment-Quality of Life (NE-QoL)” for community-dwelling older adults. The reliability test is applied to test and modify the questionnaire based on cross-sectional data collected from the survey, the multiple regression analysis is used to identify significant influence relations between variables of neighborhood environment and dimensions of the QoL, mediation effects are assumed and tested by the mediation analysis in SPSS, and then the “NE-QoL” is developed to reveal the detailed influence path between the urban neighborhood environment and QoL of community-dwelling older adults. The “NE-QoL” model reveals seven variables of the urban neighborhood environment, which influences the QoL of community-dwelling older adults significantly, and three mediation effects exist in the influence path, making clear the understanding about the relationship between neighborhood environment and the QoL of community-dwelling older adults. It provides valuable retrofit guidelines of the neighborhood environment for improving QoL of community-dwelling older adults.
Collapse
|
7
|
Huang YH, Lee PC. ROLE OF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT IN SERVICE DEMANDS OF ELDERLY RESIDENTS OF APARTMENT COMPLEXES. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STRATEGIC PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.3846/ijspm.2019.10852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
An aging population results in an increased demand for services designed to meet the needs of elderly people. To enable elderly individuals to age successfully in their original residence environments, property management companies that provide services to apartment complex residents play an important role as service providers. The purpose of this study was to identify possible services that property management companies can provide to elderly residents of apartment complexes in response to changing demographics. Factor analysis was performed to identify the main areas of service demands or service demand aspects. Cluster analysis and a chi-square test were also used to identify and highlight the varied demographic characteristics and residence conditions of respondents and how they affect the level of importance attributed to each service demand aspect. Results showed seven main service aspects that were of concern to elderly individuals. Specific characteristics of elderly people that led to higher demands for certain other service aspects were also identified. The results of this study can serve as a reference for property management companies to help them provide custom design services for apartment complexes they serve and to expand their business scope and opportunities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Hua Huang
- Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Yunlin, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Chen Lee
- Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Yunlin, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Beyer A, Kamin ST, Lang FR. Housing in Old Age: Dynamical Interactions Between Neighborhood Attachment, Neighbor Annoyance, and Residential Satisfaction. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/02763893.2017.1335671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anja Beyer
- Institute of Psychogerontology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Nürnberg, Germany
| | - Stefan T. Kamin
- Institute of Psychogerontology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Nürnberg, Germany
| | - Frieder R. Lang
- Institute of Psychogerontology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Nürnberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Hikichi H, Sawada Y, Tsuboya T, Aida J, Kondo K, Koyama S, Kawachi I. Residential relocation and change in social capital: A natural experiment from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2017; 3:e1700426. [PMID: 28782024 PMCID: PMC5529061 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1700426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Social connections in the community ("social capital") represent an important source of resilience in the aftermath of major disasters. However, little is known about how residential relocation due to housing destruction affects survivors' social capital. We examined changes in social capital among survivors of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. People who lost their homes were resettled to new locations by two primary means: (i) group relocation to public temporary trailer housing or (ii) individual relocation, in which victims moved into government-provided housing by lottery or arranged for their own accommodation (market rental housing or private purchase/new construction). The baseline for our natural experiment was established 7 months before the 11 March 2011 disaster, when we conducted a survey of older community-dwelling adults who lived 80-km west of the earthquake epicenter. Approximately 2.5 years after the disaster, the follow-up survey gathered information about personal experiences of disaster as well as health status and social capital. Among 3421 people in our study, 79 people moved via group relocation to public temporary trailer housing, whereas 96 people moved on their own. The individual fixed-effects model showed that group relocation was associated with improved informal socializing and social participation (β coefficient = 0.053, 95% confidence interval: 0.011 to 0.095). In contrast, individual relocation was associated with declining informal socializing and social participation (β coefficient = -0.039, 95% confidence interval: -0.074 to -0.003). Group relocation, as compared to individual relocation, appeared to preserve social participation and informal socializing in the community.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Hikichi
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yasuyuki Sawada
- Graduate School of Economics, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toru Tsuboya
- Department of International and Community Oral Health, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Jun Aida
- Department of International and Community Oral Health, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Katsunori Kondo
- Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- Center for Gerontology and Social Science, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu, Aichi, Japan
| | - Shihoko Koyama
- Department of International and Community Oral Health, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Ichiro Kawachi
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| |
Collapse
|