Movers or Stayers? Heterogeneity of Older Adults' Residential Profiles Across Continental Europe

Traditionally, the emotional attachment older adults have to their homes and the economic and health burden caused by residential moves have had a deterrent effect on mobility during old age. In spite of this static general trend, 20% of older Europeans change their residential location after the age of 65. Some studies point out that this percentage will increase in the coming decades along with the onset of baby-boom cohorts reaching older ages. The main objective of this article is to describe the residential mobility trends during old age in some European countries and identify the main features of those elderly that move after 65, using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE)

Ressenyes

Index de les obres ressenyades: Amanda DAVIES ; Amity JAMES, Geographies of Ageing: Social Processes and the Spatial Uneveness of Population Agein

Envejecer en Casa: Factores Asociados con la Permanencia en una Misma Vivienda hasta Edades Avanzadas. Un Estudio del Contexto Europeo

‘Ageing in Place’ is a theoretical-practical concept used to promote those policies that facilitate older people stay at home as alternative to institutionalisation. While the political application of the term seems to presuppose universal benefits for those who age at home, critical gerontology has questioned alluding to the complexity of ageing process and the reductionist view that often underlies the institutional discourse around these policies. The aim of this article is to shed light on the premises assumed by the ‘Ageing in Place’ implementation, analysing the factors associated to a particular type of older Europeans; those with long-lasting residential trajectories. Using data from SHARE (wave 1, 2004), this work analyses the characteristics of those individuals aged 65 and over who for most of their life have presented a pattern of residential stability. The length of residential trajectory is assessed depending on socio-demographic characteristics, resources and support exchange networks and residential conditions. Special attention is paid to regional variations, comparing eleven countries of continental Europe. The main contribution of this article is to provide empirical findings that enhance the progression in an under-researched topic as residential immobility, discussing the assumptions that underlie to the implementation of ‘ageing in place’ policies in Europe, especially when it implies a disadvantaged living situation. ‘Ageing in Place’ es un concepto teórico-práctico utilizado para designar aquellas políticas que facilitan a los mayores la permanencia en la vivienda propia como alternativa a la institucionalización. Mientras la aplicación política del término parece presuponer beneficios universales para aquellos que permanecen en sus viviendas durante la vejez, desde la gerontología crítica se ha cuestionado este hecho, aludiendo a la complejidad del proceso de envejecimiento y a la visión reduccionista que muchas veces subyace a la implementación de estas medidas. Mediante datos de la encuesta SHARE (oleada 1, 2004), este trabajo analiza las características de aquellos adultos mayores, 65 y más años, que envejecen en casa y que presentan una trayectoria residencial de larga duración. Los factores asociados a la duración de esa trayectoria comprenden las características socio-demográficas de los individuos, recursos económicos y sociales y condiciones de vida. Se presta especial atención a las variaciones espaciales, comparando once países de la Europa continental. Este estudio permite avanzar en un tema poco tratado como la inmovilidad residencial, proveyendo evidencias empíricas que cuestionan las premisas sobre las que se implementan las medidas ‘Ageing in Place’, especialmente cuando esto implica una situación de escasez de recursos

La formación de hogares y la tenencia de vivienda de los jóvenes en la reconfiguración de los sistemas residenciales europeos

La relación entre regímenes de propiedad y variables demográficas ha sido propuesta de manera convincente por Mulder y Billari. A partir de este antecedente, se propone una clasificación de los países europeos, tomando en consideración la formación de hogar. Otra sugerencia interesante procede de Yu y Myers que transformaron las tasas de tenencia, normalmente calculadas como la proporción de hogares que son propietarios o inquilinos, en una tasa de principalidad de hogar específica por tenencia residencial. Este indicador mide la propensión a formar un hogar independiente y, al mismo tiempo, ser propietario o inquilino. Se propone una tipología de los países europeos en 4 grupos, centrada en la experiencia residencial de los jóvenes. Estos grupos se organizan siguiendo dos dimensiones independientes: la intensidad de la formación de hogar en relación con la accesibilidad al mercado de la vivienda; y el peso de un acceso rápido a la propiedad.The relationship between homeownership regimes and demographic variables has been interestingly used by Mulder and Billari. Following this antecedent, we propose a classification of European countries that takes in account the household formation. Another interesting suggestion comes from Yu and Myers. They transformed tenure rates, normally calculated as the proportion of households that are home owners or renters, into a headship rate specific by tenure. This rate measures the propensity to form an independent household and to be a homeowner or a renter. A typology of European countries in 4 groups is proposed, focused on residential experience of young people. These groups are organized along two independent dimensions: household formation circumstances in direct relation to market accessibility, and the weight of a rapid access to homeownership

Handbook of Active Ageing and Quality of Life: From Concepts to Applications

La edición de este libro estuvo a cargo de Fermina Rojo-Pérez y Gloria Fernández-Mayoralas.El documento adjunto contiene la cubierta, portada e índice del libro.This handbook presents an overview of studies on the relationship of active ageing and quality of life. It addresses the new challenges of ageing from the paradigm of positive ageing (active, healthy and successful) for a better quality of life. It provides theoretical perspectives and empirical studies, including scientific knowledge as well as practical experiences about the good ageing and the quality of later life around the world, in order to respond to the challenges of an aged population. The handbook is structured in 4 sections covering theoretical and conceptual perspectives, social policy issues and research agenda, methods, measurement instrument-scales and evaluations, and lastly application studies including domains and geographical contexts.Peer reviewe

‘Ageing in Place’ in Europe: A multidimensional approach to independent living in later life

En las sociedades occidentales, el aumento de la longevidad ha significado la prolongación del tiempo que las personas mayores viven en sus propios domicilios. Ya sea de facto o por elección consciente, la realidad es la gran mayoría de las personas mayores permanencen en sus viviendas particulares hasta que el traslado a una institución de cuidados es inevitable por graves deficiencias en el estado de salud. Esta experiencia habitacional, el hecho de permanecer en casa durante la vejez, ha sido conceptualizado bajo el nombre de Ageing in Place. Esta tesis doctoral utiliza el potencial teórico del concepto de ‘Ageing in Place’ para analizar el proceso de adaptación de los mayores (población de 65 años y más) a su entorno. El explorar cómo se produce, que características tiene, qué tipos existen y que mecanismos lo facilitan, tanto a nivel individual como estructural, es el principal objetivo de este trabajo. Dado que ‘Ageing in Place’ ha servido a la vez como guía para la investigación sobre las condiciones de vida de los mayores (acepción ligada al ámbito académico) y como término mainstream para designar aquellas políticas en materia social residencial y de cuidados (acepción del ámbito político-institucional), los debates surgidos de esa dicotomía son parte central de este trabajo. En definitiva, esta tesis se pregunta ¿Qué es ‘Ageing in Place’? y ¿Cuáles son los factores que condicionan su consecución?. Enmarcada en el contexto Europeo (la tesis hace un análisis comparativo de todos o algunos países –dependiendo el capítulo- de la UE15), esta tesis se centra en explorar cuatro de los componentes que condicionan experiencia de Ageing in Place. El estudio del componente demográfico caracteriza a aquellos mayores que permanecen en sus viviendas cuantificando la magnitud del fenómeno. El análisis del componente residencial describe las condiciones habitacionales de los mayores Europeos, analiza cómo estas influyen en su satisfacción residencial, además de explorar los tipos de estrategias residenciales utilizadas por los mayores a través la dicotomía movilidad-permanencia. El componente social, un pilar básico en la consecución del Ageing in Place, analiza los mecanismos de apoyo tanto formales como informales, que permiten a los mayores compensar la posible pérdida de funcionalidad debido a la edad. En este sentido, el papel de la familia como proveedora de cuidados es esencial y por eso constituye un eje central el análisis. Por último, el componente individual, investiga a cerca de los factores que influyen las preferencias de los mayores en lo relativo al lugar donde desean pasar sus años de vejez; en la casa propia, en la casa de un familiar o en una institución de cuidados. Las dos principales fuentes estadísticas de esta tesis son de ámbito europeo; Survey of Ageing, Retirement and Health in Europe (SHARE) y la Encuesta Europea de Condiciones de Vida (EU-SILC), permiten hacer una comparativa entre distintos países Europeos. El objetivo es testar si el eje Norte-Sur que dibujan tanto el tipo de organización del Estado del Bienestar como los rasgos culturales que condicionan las relaciones familiares influencian la manera en que Ageing in Place es llevado a cabo en las distintas regiones del continente. El análisis empírico se realiza mediante técnicas multivariantes que van desde la regresión logística hasta distintas aplicaciones de los modelos Logit y Probit. Los resultados obtenidos invitan a reflexionar sobre la vejez, las nuevas identidades de los mayores, y los discursos generados en torno al envejecimiento demográfico. Este trabajo también contribuye al debate sobre el papel que la familia y los estados tienen en la provisión de cuidados a los mayores dependientes subrayando las importantes diferencias existentes dentro del contexto Europeo.In the industrialised countries, the longevity increase has lead into the extension of the time that elderly people remain in their homes. Whether de facto or by election, the reality is that the vast majority of older people are living in a private accommodation until a severe decline in health status forces a move towards a nursing institution. This experience, the fact to remain at home in later life, has been conceptualised as ‘Ageing in Place’ or ‘Independent Living’. This thesis has utilised the ‘ageing in place’ concept to explore the multidimensional relationship among older people and their living environment that permit them to remain at home despite changes in their living conditions due to ageing process. The aim has been to analyse how independent living is attained, what are its caracteristics and strategies that shape its development, and what the mechanisms enhance it. Given that ‘Ageing in Place’ notion have been used simoutanoeusly in the scientific field and in the institutional ambit, that has convert it in the mainstrean term under which present the social, care and housing policies in Europe, the emergents debates from this dichotomy are a central part of this investigation. All in all, the questions that this thesis sets out are “what we are talking about when we talk about ageing in place’ and “which factors that condition the ageing in palce experience?”. Focused in the European context, this thesis performs a cross-national analysis among the EU15 countries, exploring four components of Ageing in Place experience. The study of the demographic component aims to caractherise the profiles of those elderly people that remain living at home, quantifiying the magnitude of the phenomenon and highlighting the similarities and divergences among regions. The residential component analyse the living conditions of older Europeans, besides to analyse to what extent these conditions shape the residential satisfaction in later life. The social component of Ageing in Place is analysed idetifiying the support mechanisms, both formal or informal, that help older people to remain living in their own home. The role of family networks is essential in care provission, reason why family ties is a core aspect of the analysis. This thesis also aims to shed light on the individual component of ageing in place, investigating about the aspects that condition the ideal images that older people maintain about the best enviroment to growing older; in the own home, co-residing with a relative or in an institution. The spatial scope of this last analysis only consider one country: Spain. The two main data sources used are cross-European: Survey of Ageing, Retirement and Health in Europe (SHARE) and the European Union Statistics of Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), allowing the cross-national perspective. The objective is to assess if the North-South gradient based in the development of welfare states and the socio-cultural diversity in family relationships determine the way older people is ageing at home in the different regions of the continent. The empirical analysis is developed by means of multivariate techniques, from Logistic Regression models, to distinct applications of Discrete Choice Models, as Logit or Probit. The empirical results obtained invite to reflect about ageing, the new identities of older people and the discourses generated by demographic change. This work also contributes to the debate about the role that families and states have on well-being in later life

¿Hacia la "desfamiliarización" del cuidado predilecto? Un análisis del contexto español (1997-2009)

It has been stated that informal care is the ‘preferred’ option in Spain because this is the form of support used by the majority of the population. However, is this the ideal choice? This paper uses three surveys from the Spanish Centre for Sociological Research (1997, 2001 and 2009) to analyse the preferences of the Spanish population for three types of support in recent years: informal family-based caregiving; formal public and private services; or combined care, which is a combination of the two previous ones. The socio-demographic characteristics of the people who would opt for each one of them is also discussed. The results suggest that, whereas the preference for family caregivers remains the choice of the majority, the preference for formal forms of care has grown substantially in recent decades.Se ha afirmado que en España se «prefiere» el cuidado informal debido a que esa es la forma de apoyo mayoritaria. Sin embargo, ¿se escogería como primera opción en términos ideales? Utilizando tres encuestas del Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (1997, 2001 y 2009), este trabajo analiza la evolución reciente de las preferencias de la población española por tres tipos de apoyo; informal, basado en cuidadores familiares, formal, de servicios públicos y privados, o mixto, que combine los dos anteriores, así como la evolución de las características sociodemográficas de las personas que optarían por cada uno de ellos. Los resultados sugieren que, aunque la preferencia de la familia como cuidadora sigue siendo mayoritaria, la preferencia por formas de cuidado formales ha crecido sustancialmente en las últimas décadas

Movers or stayers? heterogeneity of older Adults' residential profiles across Continental Europe

Traditionally, the emotional attachment older adults have to their homes and the economic and health burden caused by residential moves have had a deterrent effect on mobility during old age. In spite of this static general trend, 20% of older Europeans change their residential location after the age of 65. Some studies point out that this percentage will increase in the coming decades along with the onset of baby-boom cohorts reaching older ages. The main objective of this article is to describe the residential mobility trends during old age in some European countries and identify the main features of those elderly thatmove after 65, using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE)

A life-course approach to the relationship between education, family trajectory and late-life loneliness among older women in Europe

The aim of this study is to expand our knowledge about the factors that condition late-life loneliness from a longitudinal perspective. We assess the long-term relationship between education, late-life loneliness and family trajectories in terms of the role of partnership and motherhood, as well as their timing for older women. We set two initial hypotheses: (1) family trajectory has a mediating effect and (2) education has a selection effect. Cross-sectional and retrospective data are drawn from the three waves of the SHARE survey (3rd, 5th and 7th waves), selecting a subsample of women aged 65 and over from 11 European countries (N = 10,615). After distinguishing eight different family trajectories by carrying out a Sequence Analysis, the Karlson-Holm-Breen method is used to assess the mediator effect of family trajectory on the relationship between education and loneliness. Multinomial analysis is used to explore whether the probability of different family trajectories of older European women is defined by their level of education. Our results show that education has a selection effect on family trajectories: a higher educational level increases the probability of a non-standardised family trajectory. Significant results of the mediator effect of family trajectory are however only observed for women with medium-level education, as being single and childless at older ages increases the probability of loneliness among these women. Adopting a life-course perspective has permitted us to introduce the longitudinal dimensions of life events, education and family trajectories to the study of feelings of loneliness among women in old age.This work was supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and University/Spanish Agency of Research. Project “Prevention is better than cure when ageing is behind the door: interplay between social determinants of health in Spain (INTERSOC-HEALTH)” (RTI2018-099875-J-I00 -MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE- PI: Jordi Gumà) FEDER/Spanish