Housing Preference for Ageing-in-Place: Are There Differences among Emerging-Old, Young-Old and Old-Old Adults Living in Hong Kong’s Private Housing Estates?

Figures & data

Table 1. Socio-demographic information of the sample by age group.

	Overall	Emerging-old (aged 50–64)	Young-old (aged 65–74)	Old-old (aged 75+)	Diff.^#
Respondents number	298 (100%)	199 (66.8%)	81 (27.2%)	18 (6.0%)
Gender (female)	188 (55.7%)	114 (57.3%)	44 (54.3%)	8 (44.4%)	n.s.
Marital status (% in each age group)^2					**
Single	35 (11.7%)	26 (13.1%)	9 (11.1%)	0
Married	229 (76.8%)	156 (78.8%)	59 (72.8%)	14 (77.8%)
Divorced/separated	14 (4.7%)	10 (5.1%)	4 (4.9%)	0
Widowed	19 (6.4%)	6 (3.0%)	9 (11.1%)	4 (22.2%)
Highest education attainment (% in each age group)^3					n.s.
Elementary school	15 (5.0%)	7 (3.5%)	5 (6.2%)	3 (16.7%)
Middle school	118 (39.6%)	78 (39.2%)	31 (38.2%)	9 (50.0%)
College degree	162 (54.3%)	112 (56.3%)	45 (55.6%)	5 (27.8%)
Type of housing tenure (% in each age group)					n.s.
Private rental	23 (7.7%)	18 (9.0%)	3 (3.7%)	2 (11.1%)
Private ownership	275 (92.3%)	181 (91.0%)	78 (96.3%)	16 (88.9%)
Perceived type of neighborhood (% in each age group)^4					n.s.
Urban	154 (51.7%)	108 (55.7%)	41 (52.6%)	5 (31.3%)
Rural*	134 (45.0%)	86 (44.3%)	37 (47.4%)	11 (68.8%)
Period of residence (% in each age group)^5					n.s.
Less than 1 year	4 (1.3%)	4 (2.0%)	0	0
1–10 years	75 (25.2%)	56 (28.3%)	16 (19.8%)	3 (16.7%)
11–20 years	71 (23.8%)	41 (20.7%)	25 (30.9%)	5 (27.8%)
Over 20 years	146 (49.0%)	97 (49.0%)	39 (48.1%)	10 (55.6%)
No opinion	1 (0.3%)	0	1 (1.2%)	0
Income sufficiency (1–5), Median^6		3	3	3	n.s.
Subjective health (1–5), Median^7		3	3	2	n.s.

Remarks:

(#) Differences were examined through Chi-test. n.s.: not significant. *p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001 (two-tailed).

(*) Respondents chose urban or rural to describe their neighborhoods based on their subjective acknowledgement of its characteristics.

There were respondents chose not to answer certain questions, and the record was as follows: (2) one respondent, (3) three respondents, (4) ten respondents, (5) one respondent, (6) six respondents, (7) three respondents.

Figure 1. Survey questions with significant differences among three older age groups.

Remark: The symbols (*) and (**) refer to p < .05 and p < .01, respectively.

Table 2. Results on preference for living arrangement.

		Emerging-old (50–64) (n = 199)		Young-old (65–74) (n = 81)		Old-old (75+) (n = 18)		All respondents
		N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%
2.1 Desired accommodation for aging in place (can choose more than 1 option) *1 non-respondent	Continue living in current housing estates	153	77.3%	62	76.5%	15	83.3%	230	77.4%
	Housing estates tailor-design for older adults	85	42.9%	36	44.4%	5	27.8%	126	42.4%
	Tetirement village	75	37.9%	33	40.7%	2	11.1%	110	37.0%
	Intergenerational co-housing	42	21.1%	18	22.2%	2	11.1%	62	20.9%
	Residential care homes for the elderly	12	6.0%	3	3.7%	3	16.7%	18	6.1%
	Others	2	1.0%	0	0%	0	0%	2	0.7%
2.2 Who do you want to live with? (can choose more than 1 option) *4 non-respondents	Partner	151	77%	53	66.3%	11	61.1%	215	73.1%
	Children	74	37.8%	26	32.5%	7	38.9%	107	36.4%
	Carer(s)	45	23.0%	25	31.3%	5	27.8%	75	25.5%
	Friend(s)	26	13.3%	11	13.8%	3	16.7%	40	13.4%
	Relatives (s)	17	8.7%	7	8.8%	1	5.6%	25	8.4%
	Different age (multi-gens co-living)	13	6.6%	6	7.5%	1	5.6%	20	6.8%
	Similar age (unrelated people)	24	12.2%	12	15.0%	3	16.7%	39	13.1%
	Parent(s)	9	4.6%	0	0%	1	5.6%	10	3.4%
	Living alone	24	12.2%	11	13.8%	2	11.1%	37	12.4%

Table 3. Results on preference for housing design and planning features.

			Emerging-old (50–64) (n = 199)		Young-old (65–74) (n = 81)		Old-old (75+) (n = 18)		All respondents
			N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%
3.1 What are the most important living environment characteristics? (can choose not more than 3 options) *4 non-respondents	Close to natural environment		57	29.1%	17	21.3%	4	22.2%	78	26.5%
	Livable environment (e.g., good ventilation, air quality, noise control, greenery)		98	50.0 %	42	52.5%	9	50.0%	149	50.7%
	Availability of community facilities and services for everyday use (e.g., clinic, community center, etc.)		93	47.4%	45	56.3%	8	44.4%	146	49.7%
	Familiar community		18	9.2%	6	7.5%	2	11.1%	26	8.8%
	Availability of elderly facilities and services (barrier-free facility, fitness facility, etc.)		90	45.9%	39	48.8%	9	50.0%	138	46.9%
	Adequate healthcare support		73	37.2%	31	38.8%	4	22.2%	108	36.7%
	Convenient transportation safety of community		58	29.6%	25	31.3%	9	50.0%	92	31.3%
	Flexibility for home modification (living space for carer(s), the possibility for the installation of railing, etc.)		61	31.1%	21	26.3%	2	11.1%	84	28.6%
3.2 What are your preferred places for healthy activities? (can choose not more than 3 options) *2 non-respondents	At home		120	60.9%	45	55.6%	5	27.8%	170	57.4%
	Within estate		131	66.5%	55	67.9%	12	66.7%	198	66.9%
	Community facilities (e.g., senior service)		36	18.3%	20	24.7%	6	33.3%	120	40.5%
	Countryside (e.g., country park)		63	32.0%	25	30.9%	5	27.8%	93	31.4%
	Private club house (e.g., gymnastics/fitness center)		70	35.5%	22	27.2%	3	16.7%	95	32.1%
	Public space (outdoor)		53	26.9%	22	27.2%	4	22.2%	79	26.7%
	Government facilities (e.g., government parks)		36	18.3%	20	24.7%	6	33.3%	62	20.9%
3.3 Do you agree with the following opinion about home safety? (There are 199 responses to this question, respectively, 132 emerging-old, 58 young-old and 9 old-old)	a. Comfortable architectural design (e.g., good ventilation and insulated glass)	1 (Most unimportant)	1	0.8%	1	1.7%	0	0.0%	2	1.0%
		2 (Unimportant)	2	1.5%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	2	1.0%
		3 (Neutral)	12	9.1%	4	6.9%	0	0.0%	16	8.0%
		4 (Important)	76	57.6%	21	36.2%	2	22.2%	99	49.7%
		5 (Most important)	41	31.1%	32	55.2%	7	77.8%	80	40.2%
	b. Durable material and design	1 (Most unimportant)	1	0.8%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	1	0.5%
		2 (Unimportant)	1	0.8%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	1	0.5%
		3 (Neutral)	25	18.9%	10	17.2%	2	22.2%	37	18.6%
		4 (Important)	66	50.0%	25	43.1%	3	33.3%	94	47.2%
		5 (Most important)	39	29.5%	23	39.7%	4	44.4%	66	33.2%
	c. Design and material enhancing safety (e.g., anti-slip floor tiles)	1 (Most unimportant)	1	0.8%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	1	0.5%
		2 (Unimportant)	1	0.8%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	1	0.5%
		3 (Neutral)	7	5.3%	4	6.9%	0	0.0%	11	5.5%
		4 (Important)	59	44.7%	17	29.3%	3	33.3%	79	39.7%
		5 (Most important)	64	48.5%	37	63.8%	6	66.7%	107	53.8%
	d. Adaptable and flexible design accommodating for older adults’ needs	1 (Most unimportant)	1	0.8%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	1	0.5%
		2 (Unimportant)	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%
		3 (Neutral)	20	15.2%	9	15.5%	1	11.1%	30	15.1%
		4 (Important)	69	52.3%	26	44.8%	4	44.4%	99	49.7%
		5 (Most important)	42	31.8%	23	39.7%	4	44.4%	69	34.7%
	e. Smart technology enhancing safety (e.g., fall detection system and temperature sensor^#)	1 (Most unimportant)	3	2.3%	1	1.7%	0	0.0%	4	2.0%
		2 (Unimportant)	5	3.8%	2	3.4%	0	0.0%	7	3.5%
		3 (Neutral)	39	29.5%	19	32.8%	1	11.1%	59	29.6%
		4 (Important)	58	43.9%	15	25.9%	2	22.2%	75	37.7%
		5 (Most important)	27	20.5%	21	36.2%	6	66.7%	54	27.1%
3.4 Do you agree with the following opinion about home safety?	a. I am willing to replace the bathtub with a walk-in-shower to enhance home safety	1 (Very disagree)	1	0.5%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	1	0.3%
		2 (Disagree)	1	0.5%	4	4.9%	0	0.0%	5	1.7%
		3 (Neutral)	34	17.1%	6	7.4%	3	16.7%	43	14.4%
		4 (Agree)	74	37.2%	18	22.2%	3	16.7%	95	31.9%
		5 (Very agree)	89	44.7%	53	65.4%	12	66.7%	154	51.7%
	b. I am willing to replace the enclosed kitchen with an open kitchen to enhance home safety *3 non-respondents	1 (Very disagree)	6	3.0%	10	12.5%	2	11.8%	18	6.1%
		2 (Disagree)	26	13.1%	9	11.3%	2	11.8%	37	12.5%
		3 (Neutral)	48	24.2%	23	28.7%	8	47.1%	79	26.8%
		4 (Agree)	74	37.4%	15	18.8%	2	11.8%	91	30.8%
		5 (Very agree)	44	22.2%	23	28.7%	3	17.6%	70	23.7%
	c. I am willing to replace the open flame stove with an induction cooking stove to enhance home safety *2 non-respondents	1 (Very disagree)	5	2.5%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	5	1.7%
		2 (Disagree)	5	2.5%	3	3.8%	0	0.0%	8	2.7%
		3 (Neutral)	43	21.6%	22	27.5%	7	41.2%	72	24.3%
		4 (Agree)	69	34.7%	24	30.0%	5	29.4%	98	33.1%
		5 (Very agree)	77	38.7%	31	38.8%	5	29.4%	113	38.2%

^# Temperature sensors refer to heat detectors (e.g., to determine the presence of a fire in the kitchen) and extreme temperature sensors (e.g., if the temperature is high or low enough to potentially harm individuals).

Table 4. Results on property management and service provision.

			Emerging-old (50–64)(n = 199)		Young-old (65–74) (n = 81)		Old-old (75+) (n = 18)		All respondents
			N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%
4.1 Do you agree with the following opinions about payment model of services?	a. I am willing to replace the all-inclusive model (i.e., entirely included in a regular property management fee or a separate all-inclusive service fee) with the user-pays model (pay per usage/ visit)	1 (Very disagree)	11	5.5%	2	2.5%	1	5.6%	14	4.7%
		2 (Disagree)	15	7.5%	6	7.4%	3	16.7%	24	8.1%
		3 (Neutral)	64	32.2%	29	35.8%	7	38.9%	100	33.6%
		4 (Agree)	78	39.2%	35	43.2%	1	5.6%	114	38.3%
		5 (Very agree)	31	15.6%	9	11.1%	6	33.3%	46	15.4%
	b. I am willing to pay a higher management fee for getter facilities	1 (Very disagree)	14	7.0%	11	13.6%	1	5.6%	26	8.7%
		2 (Disagree)	38	19.1%	11	13.6%	3	16.7%	52	17.4%
		3 (Neutral)	87	43.7%	23	28.4%	8	44.4%	118	39.6%
		4 (Agree)	48	24.1%	30	37.0%	4	22.2%	82	27.5%
		5 (Very agree)	12	6.0%	6	7.4%	2	11.1%	20	6.7%
4.2 If the following facilities applied a user-pay model, will it influence your visiting/using habit?	a. Fitness/multipurpose rooms for physical activities	1 (Very disagree)	76	38.2%	30	37.0%	8	44.4%	114	38.3%
		2 (Disagree)	42	21.1%	14	17.3%	2	11.1%	58	19.5%
		3 (Neutral)	50	25.1%	22	27.2%	5	27.8%	77	25.8%
		4 (Agree)	20	10.1%	7	8.6%	2	11.1%	29	9.7%
		5 (Very agree)	11	5.5%	8	9.9%	1	5.6%	20	6.7%
	b. Swimming pool *6 non-respondents	1 (Very disagree)	79	40.3%	30	38.0%	7	41.2%	116	39.7%
		2 (Disagree)	31	15.8%	15	19.0%	3	17.6%	49	16.8%
		3 (Neutral)	51	26.0%	13	16.5%	5	29.4%	69	23.6%
		4 (Agree)	21	10.7%	12	15.2%	2	11.8%	35	12.0%
		5 (Very agree)	14	7.1%	9	11.4%	0	0.0%	23	7.9%
	c. Community farm/garden *8 non-respondents	1 (Very disagree)	83	42.3%	35	44.9%	7	41.2%	125	43.0%
		2 (Disagree)	35	17.9%	7	9.0%	1	5.9%	43	14.8%
		3 (Neutral)	50	25.5%	18	23.1%	5	29.4%	73	25.1%
		4 (Agree)	16	8.2%	11	14.1%	3	17.6%	30	10.3%
		5 (Very agree)	11	5.6%	7	9.0%	1	5.9%	19	6.5%
	d. Activity room *11 non-respondents	1 (Very disagree)	76	38.8%	27	35.5%	8	47.1%	111	38.4%
		2 (Disagree)	34	17.3%	12	15.8%	1	5.9%	47	16.3%
		3 (Neutral)	52	26.5%	20	26.3%	3	17.6%	75	26.0%
		4 (Agree)	18	9.2%	11	14.5%	4	23.5%	33	11.4%
		5 (Very agree)	14	7.1%	6	7.9%	1	5.9%	21	7.3%
4.3 Do you agree the following facilities and related services are what you desire within the housing estate?	a. Medical center (i.e., facilities for medical consultation)	1 (Very disagree)	4	2.0%	3	3.7%	0	0.0%	7	2.3%
		2 (Disagree)	5	2.5%	1	1.2%	0	0.0%	6	2.0%
		3 (Neutral)	34	17.1%	19	23.5%	6	33.3%	59	19.8%
		4 (Agree)	64	32.2%	21	25.9%	3	16.7%	88	29.5%
		5 (Very agree)	92	46.2%	37	45.7%	9	50.0%	138	46.3%
	b. Wellness center (i.e., primary care facilities providing health plans and consultation services)	1 (Very disagree)	4	2.0%	1	1.2%	0	0.0%	5	1.7%
		2 (Disagree)	7	3.5%	1	1.2%	0	0.0%	8	2.7%
		3 (Neutral)	55	27.6%	22	27.2%	8	44.4%	85	28.5%
		4 (Agree)	61	30.7%	22	27.2%	4	22.2%	87	29.2%
		5 (Very agree)	72	36.2%	35	43.2%	6	33.3%	113	37.9%
	c. Healthy food outlets	1 (Very disagree)	17	8.5%	3	3.7%	0	0.0%	20	6.7%
		2 (Disagree)	31	15.6%	9	11.1%	1	5.6%	41	13.8%
		3 (Neutral)	78	39.2%	33	40.7%	8	44.4%	119	39.9%
		4 (Agree)	42	21.1%	24	29.6%	5	27.8%	71	23.8%
		5 (Very agree)	31	15.6%	12	14.8%	4	22.2%	47	15.8%
	d. Residential canteen	1 (Very disagree)	14	7.0%	3	3.7%	0	0.0%	17	5.7%
		2 (Disagree)	26	13.1%	8	9.9%	2	11.1%	36	12.1%
		3 (Neutral)	55	27.6%	24	29.6%	6	33.3%	85	28.5%
		4 (Agree)	59	29.6%	26	32.1%	6	33.3%	91	30.5%
		5 (Very agree)	45	22.6%	20	24.7%	4	22.2%	69	23.2%
4.4 What are the most expected services provided by property management? (can choose not more than 2 options) *3 non-respondents	Good management of environmental hygiene		187	94.4%	76	95.0%	15	88.2%	278	94.2%
	Flexible charges for facilities (e.g., early-bird discount, free quota for seniors, etc.)		67	33.8%	28	35.0%	8	47.1%	103	34.9%
	Holding diverse interest classes		56	28.3%	25	31.3%	5	29.4%	86	29.2%
	Assist in coordinating residents-led activities through online platforms or social media		30	15.2%	12	15.0%	4	23.5%	46	15.6%
	Use of big data to meet individual needs (e.g., energy saving, personalized promotion of information)		27	13.6%	9	11.3%	2	11.8%	38	12.9%
4.5 What are the most desired elderly services to be provided in the housing estate? (can choose not more than 3 options)	Regular telephone care		19	9.6%	6	7.6%	5	27.8%	30	10.2%
	Daily assistance (e.g., technical support, minor hardware maintenance, household cleaning service)		121	61.4%	53	67.1%	11	61.1%	185	62.9%
	Personalized care plan		77	39.1%	32	40.5%	4	22.2%	113	38.4%
	Health management information provision		41	20.8%	21	26.6%	4	22.2%	66	22.4%
	Outpatient escort service		44	22.3%	15	19.0%	2	11.1%	61	20.7%
	Home care services (by booking)		72	36.5%	25	31.6%	6	33.3%	103	35.0%
	Emergency support		109	55.3%	37	46.8%	8	44.4%	154	52.4%
	Home safety assessment and improvement		17	8.6%	11	13.9%	0	0.0%	28	9.5%
	Matching services for volunteers		30	15.2%	14	17.7%	3	16.7%	47	16.0%

Table 5. Results of preference for information dissemination.

			Emerging-old (50–64)(n = 199)		Young-old (65–74) (n = 81)		Old-old (75+) (n = 18)		All respondents
			N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%
5.1 Do you agree that you prefer the following communication channels provided by property management? *4 non-respondents	a. Paper-based periodicals/ magazines	1 (Very disagree)	28	14.1%	3	3.7%	0	0.0%	31	10.4%
		2 (Disagree)	29	14.6%	7	8.6%	1	5.6%	37	12.4%
		3 (Neutral)	85	42.7%	37	45.7%	8	44.4%	130	43.6%
		4 (Agree)	36	18.1%	21	25.9%	6	33.3%	63	21.1%
		5 (Very agree)	21	10.6%	13	16.0%	3	16.7%	37	12.4%
	b. Smart TV at home	1 (Very disagree)	13	6.5%	3	3.7%	9	0.0%	16	5.4%
		2 (Disagree)	15	7.5%	8	9.9%	0	0.0%	23	7.7%
		3 (Neutral)	76	38.2%	35	43.2%	6	33.3%	117	39.3%
		4 (Agree)	58	29.1%	20	24.7%	4	22.2%	82	27.5%
		5 (Very agree)	37	18.6%	15	18.5%	8	44.4%	60	20.1%
	c. Mobile app of the estate	1 (Very disagree)	8	4.0%	6	7.4%	0	0.0%	14	4.7%
		2 (Disagree)	8	4.0%	2	2.5%	0	0.0%	10	3.4%
		3 (Neutral)	64	32.2%	30	37.0%	6	33.3%	100	33.6%
		4 (Agree)	67	33.7%	22	27.2%	7	38.9%	96	32.2%
		5 (Very agree)	52	26.1%	21	25.9%	5	27.8%	78	26.2%
	d. Estate website	1 (Very disagree)	11	5.5%	7	8.6%	0	0.0%	18	6.0%
		2 (Disagree)	17	8.5%	3	3.7%	0	0.0%	20	6.7%
		3 (Neutral)	74	37.2%	36	44.4%	10	55.6%	120	40.3%
		4 (Agree)	65	32.7%	19	23.5%	3	16.7%	87	29.2%
		5 (Very agree)	32	16.1%	16	19.8%	5	27.8%	53	17.8%
	e. Social media	1 (Very disagree)	12	6.0%	4	4.9%	0	0.0%	16	5.4%
		2 (Disagree)	14	7.0%	5	6.2%	0	0.0%	19	6.4%
		3 (Neutral)	64	32.2%	39	48.1%	7	38.9%	110	36.9%
		4 (Agree)	64	32.2%	14	17.3%	5	27.8%	83	27.9%
		5 (Very agree)	45	22.6%	19	23.5%	6	33.3%	70	23.5%
5.2 Where do you prefer to receive health related information? (can choose more than 1 option) *2 non-respondents	Television		118	59.9%	54	66.7%	14	77.8%	186	62.8%
	Radio		38	19.3%	23	28.4%	4	22.2%	65	22.0%
	The Internet		139	70.6%	53	65.4%	6	33.3%	198	66.9%
	Newspaper		30	15.2%	23	28.4%	8	44.4%	61	20.6%
	Friends		47	23.9%	13	16.0%	6	33.3%	66	22.3%
	Property management services		115	58.4%	43	53.1%	7	38.9%	165	55.7%
	Community center		77	39.1%	27	33.3%	5	27.8%	109	36.8%
	District health center		70	35.5%	34	42.0%	7	38.9%	111	37.5%

Table 6. Results on home modification.

		Emerging-old (50–64) (n = 199)		Young-old (65–74) (n = 81)		Old-old (75+) (n = 18)		All respondents
		N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%
6.1 What are the factors that discouraged you from undertaking home modifications? (multiple choice) *4 non-respondents	Lack of time	20	10.2%	3	3.7%	1	5.9%	24	8.2%
	Limited by declined physical strength	63	32.1%	24	29.6%	5	29.4%	92	31.3%
	Too troublesome (e.g., finding a place to live temporarily)	69	35.2%	34	42.0%	7	41.2%	110	37.4%
	Insufficient financial support	108	55.1%	34	42.0%	9	52.9%	151	51.4%
	Lack of information	58	29.6%	22	27.2%	7	41.2%	87	29.6%
	Lack of knowledge	65	33.2%	21	25.9%	7	41.2%	93	31.6%
	Lack of reliable contractors	103	52.6%	42	51.9%	11	64.7%	156	53.1%
	Constrained by building condition of the existing building (e.g., load-wearing wall, etc.)	62	31.6%	23	28.4%	4	23.5%	89	30.3%
6.2 In the following supports under the Integrated Building Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme, which have you heard about? (can choose more than 1 option)	Smart tender building rehabilitation facilitating services provided by the Urban Renewal Authority (URA)	23	11.7%	8	10.0%	1	6.3%	32	10.9%
	Mandatory building inspection subsidy scheme offered by the URA	114	57.9%	40	50.0%	6	37.5%	160	54.6%
	Common area repair work subsidy provided by the URA	18	9.1%	11	13.8%	1	6.3%	30	10.2%
	Home renovation interest-free loan provided by the URA	35	17.8%	14	17.5%	3	18.8%	52	17.7%
	Building maintenance grant scheme for needy owners provided by the URA	35	17.8%	23	28.8%	4	25.0%	62	21.2%
	Building safety loan scheme provided by Buildings Department, HKSARG	26	13.2%	10	12.5%	0	0.0%	36	12.3%
	I have not heard of any of the above schemes	71	36.0%	26	32.5%	6	37.5%	103	35.2%