2 research outputs found
Accommodation Downsizing
OverviewAging in place policies are a common response of governments to population aging (See âAging in Placeâ). Typically, this involves increasing aged care services delivered to the home and home modifications to improve accessibility, thereby reducing (or postponing) transitions to more costly institutional aged care (See âHome Modificationsâ). This aligns with the desire of many older people to remain in their family homes for as long as possible (Venti and Wise 1990; Olsberg and Winters 2005; Croucher 2008; Judd et al. 2010; Porteus 2011; Fernald 2014; James 2016a). However, contradictory factors to âstaying putâ include the unsuitability/inaccessibility of the design of conventional housing stock; the increasing maintenance burden accompanying declining ability or sudden shocks of illness, disability, relationship breakdown, and partnerâs death; claims of underutilization of housing by older people; and potential for reducing housing equity to support nonhousing consumption due to reduced post retirement income (See âHome Equity Conversionsâ). These constitute the main arguments for older people downsizing their accommodation to continue aging in place. However, downsizing among older people is not as prevalent or straightforward as this implies