Aging & Social Change: Eleventh Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

Healthcare policies in most European countries aim at aging-in-place combined with a socialization of care that appoints a larger role to care and support from the family and local community. Even though most older people express the wish to remain in their own dwelling, it remains largely unknown whether their immediate physical and social environment support this desire. During the summer of 2021, 41 interviews (still ongoing) were carried out with older people (64 – 93) living independently in Flanders (Belgium). We focused on their living situation and their immediate (social – physical) surrounding, with special attention for distance to facilities, family members and social contacts. Furthermore, we discussed future living preferences and the ideal neighborhood to get old. While most research focuses either on urban or rural areas, we carried out a cluster analysis to select 15 neighborhoods across Flanders, based on demographic data, the level of urbanization, and the level of facilities in the municipality. The first results show that most people indeed aspire to remain in their current dwelling and are satisfied with their neighborhood. However, approximately 20- 25% of the respondents moved recently or expressed the wish to move in the future, mostly because of practical considerations, like home or garden maintenance, or distance to facilities. Distance to family members seems to be less important, as most respondents plan to use formal (home) care, and do not plan to ask for help from the family and local networks, other than in emergencies, questioning the healthcare policies.