Aging in Place
Aging in place includes a variety of definitions such as home, aging in place, and age-friendly environments. Keeping this in mind, this module is an introduction to the concept of home and why older people desire to age in place. Home, in definition, is a residence, social unit formed by family living together, familiar/usual setting or place of origin (Merriam-Webster, 2024). Thus, home is regarded not only a as physical residence, but also has a social meaning.
Likewise, the World Health Organization (2023) defines “Age-friendly environments (such as in homes, communities, or cities) are those that foster healthy ageing by building and maintaining intrinsic capacity throughout the life-course and providing greater functional ability in someone with a given capacity.” (p.3)
There are a number of published documents related to aging in place and creating age-friendly environments. Three examples are provided below:
- Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation. (2024). Aging in Place [website].
- World Health Organization. (2023). Age Friendly Cities and Communities (WHO) [website].
- National Institute on Aging. (2023). Aging in Place: Growing Older at Home. [website].
Activity
To gain an understanding of the different perspectives related to ‘home’, think about your current home and write down your reflection on the following questions:
- What makes it home?
- What are your favorite things about it?
- What do you dislike?
- Is it located close to the places that you go?
- How accessible is it? (e.g. are their stairs, an elevator, paved walkway)
- How does where you live contribute to your quality of life?
- How is ‘home’ reflective of your identity?
Additional Resources
Aging in Place: From Theory to Practice by Esther Iecovich in Anthropological Notebooks, XX/1, 2014. (https://anthropological-notebooks.zrc-sazu.si/Notebooks/article/view/200/175)
Lewis, C., Buffel, T. (2020). Aging in place and the places of aging: A longitudinal study. Journal of Aging Studies. 54.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2020.100870. * This resource provides insight into context of aging in place and how the changing dynamics of environment impact this process.