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 and Steven M. Schmidt
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Erik Eriksson: Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
Karla Wazinski: Interdisciplinary Ageing Research, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Anna Wanka: Interdisciplinary Ageing Research, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Maya Kylén: Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
Frank Oswald: Interdisciplinary Ageing Research, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Björn Slaug: Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
Susanne Iwarsson: Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
Steven M. Schmidt: Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 20, 1-16

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.

Keywords: perceived housing; life course transitions; relocation; retirement; older adults (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:20:p:13314-:d:943384

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