ABSTRACT
This article reports older Australians' preferences for aging in place and predictors of their subsequent experiences drawing on a longitudinal study in Melbourne over 16 years. At baseline, 40% had lived in their homes for 30 or more years and the majority had preference for aging in place. However, the proportion continuing to do so was lower, with reducing independence being a major barrier. Women, renters, those not living with a partner, or those with depressive symptoms were most vulnerable, while home ownership, socioeconomic resources, neighborhood satisfaction, and home modifications were positively associated with aging in place.
Acknowledgments
The MELSHA survey and this study were led by Hal Kendig and Colette Browning with an earlier version of preliminary data analysis presented at the annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America in 2013. Cathy Honge Gong conducted the present analyses and wrote a draft of the paper with support from Lisa Cannon. We thank Chris Phillipson for his valuable comments on the current draft.