Moving as a Family Affair: Applying the SOC Model to Older Adults and their Kinship Networks

Preferences for Features of Current and Future Residential Environments Among Korean Middle-Aged Adults

This study examined differences in middle-aged adults' preferred features of their current versus future residential environments and how these differences varied by health and social characteristics. A sample of 1,651 Korean middle-aged adults (aged 49-64) rated their preferences for each of 12 features (e.g., proximity to family/relatives, house price) regarding current and future residential environments, separately. Respondents considered "accessibility to health services" and "opportunity for leisure activities" more important for future residential environments than for current ones. Respondents with poorer health considered features that help them compensate for health decline more important, while those who contacted friends/neighbors more frequently and participated in more cultural activities considered features that help them maintain their social interactions more important for future residential environments than the past. Our findings identified middle-aged adults' various demands for residential features after retirement, which reflect their strategic reactions to future needs for successful adaptation in later years.

Perspectives on Aging-Related Preparation

When older adults face age-related life challenges, anticipating what to expect and how to access potential coping strategies can both prevent and provide the possibility of easier recovery from crises. Aging-Related Preparation (ARP) is defined as the continuum of thoughts and activities about how to age well, often beginning with the awareness of age-related changes, or the anticipation of retirement, and concluding with specifying end-of-life wishes. In the current paper, we introduce the concept of ARP and related formulations regarding plans for aging well, describe both predictors and outcomes of ARP for several the domains of ARP, and consider the elements of ARP within the context of existing social policy. We conclude that ARP is determined by a variety of influences both intrinsic to the older person (e.g., personality, cognitive ability, beliefs about planning, problem-solving skills), linked to social class and education, as well as dependent on family structures, access to and knowledge of options, services, and local community resources, and social policy. We further provide evidence that ARP has positive effects in the domain of pre-retirement planning (for retirement adjustment), of preparation for future care (for emotional well-being), and of ACP (for a good death). However, other domains of ARP, including planning for leisure, housing, and social planning are under-researched. Finally, we discuss policy implications of the existing research.

"Home Is Where My Couch Is": The Role of Possessions in the Process of Moving and Adjusting to Continuing Care Retirement Communities

We examined the role of possessions in the process of moving and adjusting to continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs). Totally, 59 CCRC residents in 12 CCRCs were interviewed. We categorized three main types of residents: "I want it all," "I want it that way," and "I want to break free." Each type experienced differently the role that objects play in (a) the reasons for moving, (b) choosing a CCRC and a specific apartment, (c) organizing one's belongings in preparation for relocation, and (d) adjusting to the new apartment. Most residents were attached to their belongings and reported having great difficulty leaving them behind. Our findings suggest that while older adults should be given every possible opportunity to make their own choices about their belongings, it is also necessary to balance between the desire to maintain continuity with their past, and the limited space of a CCRC apartment.