Aging & Social Change: Fourteenth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

Population aging impacts all facets of society including the spaces in which we reside. As people age, a myriad of circumstances can affect the ability to manage at home as well as our mobility to access necessary goods and services. Across the world, innovative housing is emerging to better meet the needs and preferences of a growing aging citizenry. In 2010, the WHO initiated a broad-scale movement to enhance the age-friendliness of communities by focusing efforts on core features of our environment including housing. This study utilized multiple methods of inquiry to examine older adults’ perceptions (n = 1,172) on the importance of housing by generational age including Baby Boomers (i.e. persons born between 1946 -1964) and non-Boomer older adults (i.e. persons born 1945 or earlier) in an American age-friendly community in which more than half of its residents are age 50 or older. Building upon our survey and focus group findings, we further aligned efforts with other community partners to create a municipal resolution to promote universal design in new construction.