Perceived Housing in Relation to Retirement and Relocation: A Qualitative Interview Study among Older Adults

Erik Eriksson; Karla Wazinski; Anna Wanka; Maya Kylén; Frank Oswald; Björn Slaug; Susanne Iwarsson; Steven M. Schmidt

doi:10.3390/ijerph192013314

Perceived Housing in Relation to Retirement and Relocation: A Qualitative Interview Study among Older Adults

Erik Eriksson, Karla Wazinski, Anna Wanka, Maya Kylén, Frank Oswald, Björn Slaug, Susanne Iwarsson, Steven M. Schmidt

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

As people age the home environment becomes increasingly important. Retirement commonly leads to spending more time in one’s home, and relocating from your own home in older age could be associated with reduced health or wellbeing. The relationship between home and person is complex and perceived aspects of one’s housing such as social, emotional and cognitive ties are considered important factors for health and wellbeing. However, little is known about how perceived aspects of the home change in relation to retirement and relocation. This paper used Situational Analysis to explore, via situational mapping, how community dwelling older adults (aged 60–75) perceived their housing situation in relation to retirement and relocation. The results suggest complex relations between relocation/retirement and perceived housing, and between different aspects of perceived housing. Furthermore, the results suggest that the relationship between life transitions and perceived housing can be seen as bi-directional, where different life transitions affect aspects of perceived housing, and that perceived housing affects (decisions for) relocation. The results suggest complex relations between retirement and relocation, as well as other life transitions, and perceived aspects of one’s housing. It is important to consider these interactions to understand factors that affect health and wellbeing in older adults.

Original language	English
Article number	13314
Journal	International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume	19
Issue number	20
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013314
Publication status	Published - 2022 Oct

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors would like to acknowledge and thank the participants for sharing their experiences, as well as Lena Lennartsson for transcribing interviews. This study was accomplished within the context of the Centre for Ageing and Supportive Environments (CASE) at Lund University, and the Interdisciplinary Ageing Research (IAW) at Goethe University Frankfurt. E.E.’s learning process was supported by the Swedish National Graduate School on Ageing and Health (SWEAH).

Funding Information:
This research was funded by Forte, the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, grant number 2019-00235 and by the LMK-stiftelsen, Foundation for Interdisciplinary Scientific Research.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors.

Subject classification (UKÄ)

Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology

Free keywords

life course transitions
older adults
perceived housing
relocation
retirement

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.3390/ijerph192013314Licence: CC BY

HoT-Age: Perceived Housing and Life Transitions: Good Ageing-in Place
Schmidt, S. (PI), Kylén, M. (Researcher), Slaug, B. (Researcher), Iwarsson, S. (Researcher), Oswald, F. (Researcher), Wanka, A. (Researcher) & Eriksson, E. (Research student)
Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research (Forte)
2020/01/01 → 2023/12/31
Project: Research

Cite this

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title = "Perceived Housing in Relation to Retirement and Relocation: A Qualitative Interview Study among Older Adults",

abstract = "As people age the home environment becomes increasingly important. Retirement commonly leads to spending more time in one{\textquoteright}s home, and relocating from your own home in older age could be associated with reduced health or wellbeing. The relationship between home and person is complex and perceived aspects of one{\textquoteright}s housing such as social, emotional and cognitive ties are considered important factors for health and wellbeing. However, little is known about how perceived aspects of the home change in relation to retirement and relocation. This paper used Situational Analysis to explore, via situational mapping, how community dwelling older adults (aged 60–75) perceived their housing situation in relation to retirement and relocation. The results suggest complex relations between relocation/retirement and perceived housing, and between different aspects of perceived housing. Furthermore, the results suggest that the relationship between life transitions and perceived housing can be seen as bi-directional, where different life transitions affect aspects of perceived housing, and that perceived housing affects (decisions for) relocation. The results suggest complex relations between retirement and relocation, as well as other life transitions, and perceived aspects of one{\textquoteright}s housing. It is important to consider these interactions to understand factors that affect health and wellbeing in older adults.",

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note = "Funding Information: The authors would like to acknowledge and thank the participants for sharing their experiences, as well as Lena Lennartsson for transcribing interviews. This study was accomplished within the context of the Centre for Ageing and Supportive Environments (CASE) at Lund University, and the Interdisciplinary Ageing Research (IAW) at Goethe University Frankfurt. E.E.{\textquoteright}s learning process was supported by the Swedish National Graduate School on Ageing and Health (SWEAH). Funding Information: This research was funded by Forte, the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, grant number 2019-00235 and by the LMK-stiftelsen, Foundation for Interdisciplinary Scientific Research. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 by the authors.",

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AU - Kylén, Maya

AU - Oswald, Frank

AU - Slaug, Björn

AU - Iwarsson, Susanne

AU - Schmidt, Steven M.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors would like to acknowledge and thank the participants for sharing their experiences, as well as Lena Lennartsson for transcribing interviews. This study was accomplished within the context of the Centre for Ageing and Supportive Environments (CASE) at Lund University, and the Interdisciplinary Ageing Research (IAW) at Goethe University Frankfurt. E.E.’s learning process was supported by the Swedish National Graduate School on Ageing and Health (SWEAH). Funding Information: This research was funded by Forte, the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, grant number 2019-00235 and by the LMK-stiftelsen, Foundation for Interdisciplinary Scientific Research. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.

PY - 2022/10

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N2 - As people age the home environment becomes increasingly important. Retirement commonly leads to spending more time in one’s home, and relocating from your own home in older age could be associated with reduced health or wellbeing. The relationship between home and person is complex and perceived aspects of one’s housing such as social, emotional and cognitive ties are considered important factors for health and wellbeing. However, little is known about how perceived aspects of the home change in relation to retirement and relocation. This paper used Situational Analysis to explore, via situational mapping, how community dwelling older adults (aged 60–75) perceived their housing situation in relation to retirement and relocation. The results suggest complex relations between relocation/retirement and perceived housing, and between different aspects of perceived housing. Furthermore, the results suggest that the relationship between life transitions and perceived housing can be seen as bi-directional, where different life transitions affect aspects of perceived housing, and that perceived housing affects (decisions for) relocation. The results suggest complex relations between retirement and relocation, as well as other life transitions, and perceived aspects of one’s housing. It is important to consider these interactions to understand factors that affect health and wellbeing in older adults.

AB - As people age the home environment becomes increasingly important. Retirement commonly leads to spending more time in one’s home, and relocating from your own home in older age could be associated with reduced health or wellbeing. The relationship between home and person is complex and perceived aspects of one’s housing such as social, emotional and cognitive ties are considered important factors for health and wellbeing. However, little is known about how perceived aspects of the home change in relation to retirement and relocation. This paper used Situational Analysis to explore, via situational mapping, how community dwelling older adults (aged 60–75) perceived their housing situation in relation to retirement and relocation. The results suggest complex relations between relocation/retirement and perceived housing, and between different aspects of perceived housing. Furthermore, the results suggest that the relationship between life transitions and perceived housing can be seen as bi-directional, where different life transitions affect aspects of perceived housing, and that perceived housing affects (decisions for) relocation. The results suggest complex relations between retirement and relocation, as well as other life transitions, and perceived aspects of one’s housing. It is important to consider these interactions to understand factors that affect health and wellbeing in older adults.

KW - life course transitions

KW - older adults

KW - perceived housing

KW - relocation

KW - retirement

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SN - 1661-7827

VL - 19

JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

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M1 - 13314

ER -

Perceived Housing in Relation to Retirement and Relocation: A Qualitative Interview Study among Older Adults

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Subject classification (UKÄ)

Free keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Projects

HoT-Age: Perceived Housing and Life Transitions: Good Ageing-in Place

Cite this