Introduction to special issue: aging in place

In his recent book Aging in the Right Place, Golant (2015) questioned whether the place we want to stay as long as possible is the right place. Scharlach and Diaz Moore (2016) revisited the question, “what is aging in place?”. They inquired about the theoretical and conceptual foundation of this idea and proposed an integrated model of aging in place by adding time and space. Naturally Occurred Retirement Community (NORC) Supportive programs have been reevaluated, despite the fact that these programs have not received federal funding since 2005 (Colello, 2007). Greenfield (2012, 2014) pointed out that these programs were customized based on the needs from each community, supporting not only individuals but addressing community. I think all these recent efforts indicate that an evolution in the idea of aging in place is underway, allowing a desirable and diverse interpretation of the value of aging in place.

The concept of aging in place has been discussed as a phenomenon, goal, or process. Initially the focus was on “place” as dwelling and evolved to “relationships” in a community (Thomas & Blanchard, 2009). Thus, aging in community or age (aging)-friendly community reflect an updated focus for researchers, policymakers, and service providers.

As a phenomenon, the concept of aging in place resulted in research investigating those who desire to age in place and the reasons older persons want to stay in their current places. The dramatic increase in the size of the aging population along with extended life expectancy served as the primary reasons for these inquiries. The focus of initial conceptualization of aging in place was based on older adults, their environments, and interactions between the two (Vasunilashorn, Steinman, Liebig, & Pynoos, 2012). Lawton and Nahemow’s (1973) seminal work, the environmental press theory, contributed to research focusing on how to support aging in place in optimal residential environments. At the same time, aging in place naturally became a goal. Older adults, families, care and service providers, and policymakers engaged in collective efforts to support and encourage aging in place. Recently, aging in place was revisited to include relationships in a wider social and environmental setting. Aging in community was considered a synonym of aging in place. Once aging in place was also understood as relationships in the community, the importance of community-based services and participation of the residents was emphasized.

The positive value of aging in place frequently has been acknowledged for older adults, especially in the United States. Over the past several decades, the favorable atmosphere toward aging in place, which includes social, cultural, and political support, necessitated significant federal and local programs and policies. Numerous studies supported the psychological, emotional, social, and financial benefits of aging in place. However, despite the prevalence of research and widely accepted values, ironically the conceptual foundation of this idea has not been thoroughly investigated. However, recently there have been increasing efforts to explore diverse interpretations and to rebuild the conceptual foundation of the aging in place idea. With this direction, equal attention can be devoted to the issues of stuck-in place or involuntary staying, and viewing aging in place as more than an attainable goal (see Oswald, Jopp, Rott, & Wahl, 2011; Strohschein, 2012). Frankly, the question, “Is aging in place beneficial to all?” was not a focus to certain stakeholders. By addressing this question, research on aging in place can provide practical implications for planning a community for all residents regardless of age. It seems both timely and meaningful that researchers explore more theoretical and conceptual foundations of aging in place by revisiting the idea of this concept and adding diverse interpretations of the value.

In the same vein, more qualitative and longitudinal studies on aging in place are expected to capture the richer meaning of aging in place. Exploration of the extended consequences of aging in place, such as overall well-being or social health, is also expected. This research will reinforce the theoretical and conceptual foundations of aging in place, and thus provide meaningful implications for older adults’ well-being.

This special issue contains eight valuable studies that truly reflect diverse interpretations of the value of aging place. The authors represent various disciplines including housing, gerontology, interior design, sociology, social work, and public health, and various geographic locations, including Singapore, Sweden, and the United States.

Three of the studies utilize qualitative research methods. Lee and colleagues investigated perceptions of the residential environment, including neighborhood and city, for low-income older adults living in urban areas. The authors presented themes and service policy implications. Next, Stafford’s research explored how oldest-old adults maintained residential normalcy while aging in place through self-initiated assimilative and accommodative coping. Finally, place attachment of residents and design features in a rural co-housing community were examined by Lies et al.; they proposed design features to support aging in place.

Hwang and colleagues identified the characteristics of the US older adults who were interested in community-based housing options. The authors investigated respondents’ interests and needs for retirement communities and assisted living facilities and options, such as home repair services, home modification programs, and reverse mortgages. Two studies were based on literature reviews. Gan completed a systematic literature review on the effects of neighborhood on aging in place. In particular, the built and social neighborhood effects on physical and psychological health in urban areas were examined and a proposed conceptual model based on the literature review was provided. Ewen and colleagues used cross-sectional data from Wave 2 of the Pathways to Life Quality dataset to investigate the inequality of community-based services and resources among various residential settings; this was based on the Cumulative Advantage/Disadvantage (CAD) theory. Ekband and colleagues used secondary data from the Injury Database in Sweden from 2001 to 2015 to identify injury countermeasures. The authors analyzed how age and physical (dis)ability jointly influence the probability of different types of injury events in residential settings. Lastly, Hwang’s research note is an overview of a walkability assessment for older adults, providing implications for successful aging in place.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.