Abstract
BackgroundMost older adults wish to stay at home during their late life years, but physical disabilities and cognitive impairment may force them to face a housing decision. However, they lack relevant information to make informed value-based housing decisions. Consequently, we sought to identify the sets of factors influencing the housing decision-making of older adults.MethodsWe performed a systematic literature search for studies evaluating any factors influencing the housing decisions among older adults over 65 years old without cognitive disabilities. Primary research from any study design reported after 1990 in a peer-reviewed journal, a book chapter or an evaluated doctoral thesis and written in English, French or Spanish were eligible. We extracted the main study characteristics, the participant characteristics and any factors reported as associated with the housing decision. We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis from the perspective of the meaning and experience of home.ResultsThe search resulted in 660 titles (after duplicate removal) from which 86 studies were kept for analysis. One study out of five reported exclusively on frail older adults (n = 17) and two on adults over 75 years old. Overall, a total of 88 factors were identified, of which 71 seem to have an influence on the housing decision-making of older adults, although the influence of 19 of them remains uncertain due to discrepancies between research methodologies. No conclusion was made regarding 12 additional factors due to lack of evidence.ConclusionA wealth of factors were found to influence housing decisions among older adults. However, very few of them have been studied extensively. Our results highlight the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork to study the influence of a broader range of factors as a whole. These results will help older adults make the best possible housing decision based on their unique situation and values.
Highlights
The proportion of older adults around the world is increasing dramatically
A total of 88 factors were identified, of which 71 seem to have an influence on the housing decision-making of older adults, the influence of 19 of them remains uncertain due to discrepancies between research methodologies
Our results highlight the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork to study the influence of a broader range of factors as a whole
Summary
The proportion of older adults around the world is increasing dramatically. By 2050, the number of adults aged 60 years and over will nearly double and countries in Europe and North America will see the proportion of older adults increase by 30% [1]. In Canada, estimates from 2015 show that for the first time, there were more older adults in the country than children under 15 [2] and the number of adults aged 65 and older will represent more than 25% of the population by 2036, with 32% of them being over 80 years old [3]. Functional limitations among older adults will increase the pressure on healthcare services, social services and on the provision of housing as aging Canadians consider whether to stay at home or relocate. Most older adults wish to stay at home during their late life years, but physical disabilities and cognitive impairment may force them to face a housing decision. They lack relevant information to make informed value-based housing decisions. We sought to identify the sets of factors influencing the housing decision-making of older adults
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
