Aging & Society: Eighth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

With population ageing, the issue of care delivery to the dependent population becomes crucial. “Ageing in place,” in the community, seems the favourite option, as opposed to living “within a community” such as nursing homes (NH). We concentrate on the housing choices of those sixty-plus as revealed by their decision to move or not, and the type of home they choose, using five waves of the SHARE survey on health ageing and retirement in thirteen European countries. The annual mobility rate is a low 2%. Moreover two-thirds of movers stay in the same municipality. Moves to private homes declines after age sixty-five and increases with the number of children, bringing family members closer. Mobility or ADL limitations induce to change residence. Moves to a NH are more likely for those with cognitive impairment, who have no spouse, or no child living close by. They are less likely for the highly educated or the wealthy. This as a sign that the preferred option is to live in the community. Moving to a NH at the end of life is only linked to health and disability. The 56% of movers who “downsize” have lower wealth, have lost their spouse, and had more unoccupied rooms. The desire to “age in place” is likely to go on in the future. Hence the necessity to adapt homes and neighbourhoods, organize home care, and adapt NH to more heavily disabled people, especially with dementia, or closer to the end of their lives, needing highly qualified care.