How identification with and attachment to place affects preference to move in later life: smallest space analysis

TL;DR

This study explores how older adults' emotional connection to their neighborhood influences their decision to stay or move, emphasizing the importance of social environments over material factors.

Contribution

The study introduces the use of Smallest Space Analysis to demonstrate the role of neighborhood identification in housing preferences among older adults.

Findings

Neighborhood as a social 'place' significantly predicts housing choices for older adults.

Identification and attachment to a neighborhood outweigh factors like house type or financial status.

The findings highlight the need for further research on neighborhood identification in housing decisions.

Abstract

As populations age and urbanize, there is a need for housing and neighborhoods that support healthier, happier lives for older adults. While “Aging in Place” policies enable seniors to remain in their homes and communities, critics argue they overlook the complex physical, social, and psychological factors necessary for positive aging. Particularly, policies that focus on the dwelling or proximity to care and failure to address older adults’ holistic needs. Positive alternatives, such as the “Age-Friendly Environments,” proposed by the World Health Organization, emphasize public health interventions that create neighborhoods where older people maintain social connections and live in supportive environments, regardless of accommodation type. This research, drawing on UK Understanding Society survey data, utilized Smallest Space Analysis (SSA) to identify what influences older adults’ preferences to stay or move. Findings suggest that a significant predictor of housing choice was the neighborhood as a social “place.” Specifically, it is a location with which individuals identified, attached, and embedded. This outcome held more weight than individual attributes like house type, financial status, or social position. Results highlighted the need for further empirical investigation into the centrality of neighborhood identification in older adults’ housing decisions.

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