TITLE
Aspects considering new and current forms of housing for elderly.
Housing options and modifications to maintain independence and to promote health.

KEYWORDS
Aging in Place / home modification / assisted living
Dependent / independent / phases and changes / housing options / modifications / tendencies /
Multigenerational household / relocating-options / integrated living / self-determined life /
Precautionary model and preventive strategies

BEGINNING
1) Introduction - What is housing?
Everyone does it and nearly everyone would assume to know what it is about – housing.
…

Where from in the topic?
Example of a young couple with the awareness of the aging topic. Wanted a design offer for a
single family house, lot division for sister (ecology), house is to be modifiable into two units (aging)
Parents: Discussion about a new built shared home with friends (downsizing) because current
house is too large and the garden causes a lot of work and takes a lot of time.

Significance?

This two personal stories, of whom possibly everyone could tell similar ones, imply several
aspects.
…roughly circumscribe them
Several questions arise out of the housing diagram I created and its content will be the guideline
through the paper. The notions and options I try to describe and as well how public health can
address its content.
…show and describe diagram
b. architectural examples

1) Vienna, Austria: BKK3 | www.bkk-3.com
| www.sargfabrik.at
2) Frastanz, Austria: intergenerational housing in the countryside/suburban area

i. Where to position in point a?
ii. What effect when implemented in US?
1. mobility question (also see in Frank & Engelke, 2001)
2. stimulating/maintaining physical environment (personal barrier,
environmental barriers, Sallis and Owen 1990
3. solutions: community minibus taxi, retired persons work as taxidrivers,…

3) Why do people want to age and maintain living in their own home?
Evidence and reasons for it.
Is there evidence that maintaining to live at home independent is a main goal of Public health?
(it is a main goal of older adults)
Is living at home the preferred housing style for elderly and what are its reasons? (ages)

Decision on how to live are described in a four category model of: background characteristics,
housing history, social integration, and health.
Older peoples expectations about future housing vary by several factors (Robison & Moen).
Economic question
Already in 1979 Chappel & Penning were addressing that the trend to deinstitutionalizing the
elderly should not mainly depend solely on the economic burden. Their results showed the
advantages of the trend for elderly people. They suppose alternative services such as home care
programs as a reaction of that trend. Their main findings support a multidimensional approach to
the study of the elderly. As they say, the overall well being of a person is influenced of the health,

2. moderate disability
ii. move in the face of major, chronic disability
f. trend away from expecting children as caregiver / blended families /
i. creates the need to plan for alternate housing and community based LTC

6) Modifications and technology
a. Before needy
b. While needy
c. Maintain – safety – stimulate
What can be changed / repaired in private homes to increase safety?

7) What is done from public health
a. Who gets help and what kind of
b. Frail people
c. Different financial situation
d. How can Public Health address this
i. Strengthen social setting (community programs)
ii. Maintain Mobility = geographical radius that is available for a person further out
the home (a specific US goal, argued out of the comparative example between to
shown project)
iii. Develop acceptance for alternative housing forms (Robison & Moen)
iv. Develop programs throughout every age to build acceptance / awareness / vision
Life course formulations
1. e.g. Intentions and behaviour diverge when people gain more information
or when unforeseen circumstances aris between the time of their stated
intentions and the time when their behaviour is assessed. (Juster 1997,
Manski 1990)
2. day nursery: breakfast – goal: experience of frsh food, start of socializing
kindergarten: food: how does it smell and taste and where does it come
from school: sport: awareness of one own needs and experience benefits

Providers, Policy Makers and Housing managers.
“Collaboration, though more complex, is important if we are to meet the preferences of
beneficiaries o remain where they are and to prevent the need to develop additional settings to
serve people.”

Example: New York: Arakawa + Gins | www.reversibledestiny.org/home.php
Bioscleave House (Lifespan-Extending Villa)
East Hampton, New York | Size: 2,700 sq ft. | Construction: 2000-2008
…Describe project and main goals which lead directly to the conclusion

9) END
a. Conclusion
New forms of housing can not only be invented from developers and planners, from
researchers monitoring the elder population with its needs and possibilities. Public Health
programmes have to create the acceptance, awareness and visions in every person
throughout the life time for possible specific changes in older ages. One goal lies in the
potential quality of a widespread experience created and developed in each person life-
time. It is the responsibility of every individual to take care of oneself and its health and
through that have a positive impact on society. Personal health is a value which is
~contributed to the society within ones biological conditions~. MIX OF PHRASES:

Balsam: Population becomes more diverse and consumers begin to demand more comprehensive care
responsive to their personal needs…supports for individuals who wish to enhance their own health.

Kutza: Early identification of treatable chronic diseases and home safety reviews to reduce the incidence
of falls are two examples of how a modest community investment can reap large health care cost savings
in the future.

What are there barriers for elderly to think of new possible forms of housing?
Are new forms of housing well accepted? (market driven)

To differentiate:
maintain to live at home vs. relocation into a new housing form
privately organized housing vs. institutional housing
stages: independent – supportive – care
new influences: blended families – kinship – technology
trends according to personal financial background (low – middle – high income) LITERATURE REVIEW
http://online.sagepub.comEnvironment and Behaviour/Journals of Gerontology/The Gerontologist/Research on Aging/Environment
and Behaviour/Urban Affairs Review/Journal of Planning Education and Research
… READ
… UNREAD
1
st
round:
… Chappell & Penning_The Trend away from Institutionalization_ 1979.pdf
… Robison & Moen_A Life-Course Perspective on Housing Expectations and Shifts in Late Midlife_ 2000.pdf
… Folts&Muir_Housing for Older Adults_New Lessons from the Past_ 2002.pdf
… Biegel_Integrational Partnership_ 2002.pdf
… Morris Jenny_Community care or independent living_ 1994.pdf
… Imamoglu_Assisted Living as a new Place Schema_A comparison with homes and nursing homes_ 2007.pdf
… Oswald Frank_Relationship Between Housing and Healthy Aging_ 2007.pdf