Abstract
Geographical life-space is an important factor to consider when studying subjective wellbeing of older adults. The purpose of this article is twofold: to provide an in-depth understanding of 1) the geographical life-spaces in which the lives of older adults take place and 2) the relation between life-space and experienced levels of subjective wellbeing. Seventy-six older adults (aged 65 and older) participated in our qualitative study. We applied a qualitative research approach, through combining indepth-interviews with visual life-space diagrams. Our findings show that most older adults continue to experience a high level of subjective wellbeing, regardless of the extent of their life-space. We conclude that the possibility to fulfill one's needs, even in a restricted life-space, is more conducive to maintaining subjective wellbeing than the extent of life-space itself.
Highlights
People aim to achieve and maintain subjective wellbeing by engaging in different, preferred activities within the set of resources and constraints they face (Ormel et al, 1999)
The aim of this study is to develop a more indepth-understanding of: 1) The geographical life-spaces encompassing the everyday lives of older adults; 2) The relation between the life-space of older adults and experienced level of subjective wellbeing
Our study focused on the geographical life-spaces encompassing the everyday lives of 76 older adults living in the north-eastern part of the Netherlands, and the relation between their life-spaces and experienced levels of subjective wellbeing
Summary
People aim to achieve and maintain subjective wellbeing by engaging in different, preferred activities within the set of resources and constraints they face (Ormel et al, 1999). Each activity is taking place in a person’s geographical life-space, which is unique to each individual. This makes the geographical life-space such an important factor to consider when studying subjective wellbeing. Geographical life-space can be defined as the spatial area in which a person lives, gets out and about, interacts, participates, conducts his or her societal roles, and engages in activities in the course of everyday life (Hodge, 2008; Horgas et al, 1998; Liddle et al, 2014). Space has come to be seen as a process that is heterogeneous and the product of interactions (Massey, 2005)
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 callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
