Retirement Housing Research Articles

The Smithsons’ Unbuilt Projects: Considerations on the Retirement House Approach

Abstract: The Retirement House (1959) was a project developed by Peter Smithson that did not have the opportunity to be materialized beyond the drawing; therefore, we will use this proposal as a case study to investigate deeper into his design themes. Two texts will be considered, “The nature of home: it’s equipment and furniture” and “Container and Contained”, presented, respectively, in the publications “Ordinariness and Light” and “Alison and Peter Smithson—from the House of Future to a house of today”, as a “guide” for an interpretation of the project. The Retirement House, recognised as being set within their Appliance Houses research, is charged through the different influences and cultural references that inhabit the Smithsons’ oeuvre in the 50s. As a main objective, we intend to show in more detail the inception and design themes of the case study through the analysis of installations, texts and other projects that serve as an experimental legacy. We intend to demonstrate the functional character and interconnection of spaces present in the work of Alison and Peter Smithson that form an operative design tool, set within the capacity of a topological variation that can imprint a flexibility value, with pronounced interest in contemporary architecture and the current housing crises. The present article is part of ongoing PhD research on Alison and Peter Smithson’s work.

Optimal annuitisation, housing and reverse mortgage in retirement in the presence of a means-tested public pension

In this paper we develop a model to find optimal decisions in retirement with respect to the consumption, risky asset allocation, access to annuities, reverse mortgage and the option to scale housing in the presence of a means-tested public pension. To solve the corresponding high-dimensional optimal stochastic control problem, we use the Least-Squares Monte Carlo simulation method. The model is applied in the context of the Australian retirement system. Few retirees in Australia utilise financial products in retirement, such as annuities or reverse mortgages. Since the government-provided means-tested Age Pension in Australia is an indirect annuity stream which is typically higher than the consumption floor, it can be argued that this could be the reason why many Australians do not annuitise. In addition, in Australia where assets allocated to the family home are not included in the means tests of Age Pension, the incentive to over-allocate wealth into housing assets is high. This raises the question whether a retiree is really better off over-allocating into the family home, while accessing home equity later on either via downsizing housing or by taking out a reverse mortgage. Our findings confirm that means-tested pension crowds out voluntary annuitisation in retirement, and that annuitisation is optimal sooner rather than later once retired. We find that it is never optimal to downscale housing when the means-tested pension and a reverse mortgage are available; only when there is no other way to access equity then downsizing is the only option.

세대별 은퇴 후 주거입지 선호 특성에 관한 연구

This study aimed to analyze the similarities and differences in retirement location preferences among Baby Boomers, Generation X, and the Echo Generation. An empirical analysis was conducted on 211 residents of the Seoul metropolitan area for this purpose. The findings revealed that, regardless of generation, the most preferred area for retirement housing were small and medium-sized cities in Gyeonggi-do. Additionally, Baby Boomers and Generation X preferred large cities in Gyeonggi-do, whereas the Echo Generation favored Seoul. Residents of Seoul, irrespective of their generation, showed a strong preference for Seoul, followed by large cities in Gyeonggi-do for Generation X and small to medium-sized cities in Gyeonggi-do for the Echo Generation. Those living in Gyeonggi-do, regardless of their generation, also preferred smaller cities within the region, followed by the larger cities. Among individuals wishing to reside in the metropolitan area post-retirement, the eastern and southern regions of Gyeonggi were the most favored areas across all generations. Regarding the type of area they preferred to move to after retirement, Baby Boomers had a preference for purely urban areas, while Generation X showed a preference for a combination of urban and rural areas. The Echo Generation, on the other hand, exhibited similar preferences for mixed urban and rural areas and purely urban areas. On the other hand, in the case of the echo generation, preferences for mixed urban and rural areas and urban areas were similar. In terms of selecting a post-retirement residence, transportation access was the top priority for Baby Boomers and Generation X, whereas living convenience was paramount for the Echo Generation. The study concluded with academic and practical implications based on these findings.

Microwave bone fracture diagnosis using deep neural network

This paper studies the feasibility of a deep neural network (DNN) approach for bone fracture diagnosis based on the non-invasive propagation of radio frequency waves. In contrast to previous “semi-automated” techniques, where X-ray images were used as the network input, in this work, we use S-parameters profiles for DNN training to avoid labeling and data collection problems. Our designed network can simultaneously classify different complex fracture types (normal, transverse, oblique, and comminuted) and estimate the length of the cracks. The proposed system can be used as a portable device in ambulances, retirement houses, and low-income settings for fast preliminary diagnosis in emergency locations when expert radiologists are not available. Using accurate modeling of the human body as well as changing tissue diameters to emulate various anatomical regions, we have created our datasets. Our numerical results show that our design DNN is successfully trained without overfitting. Finally, for the validation of the numerical results, different sets of experiments have been done on the sheep femur bones covered by the liquid phantom. Experimental results demonstrate that fracture types can be correctly classified without using potentially harmful and ionizing X-rays.

Manufactured Home Estates As affordable retirement housing in Australia: drivers, growth and spatial distribution

ABSTRACT Manufactured Home Estates (MHEs) are an increasingly popular type of housing for older Australians. MHEs are similar to caravan parks where an operator owns the land, and the resident owns their (technically relocatable) dwelling and pays site rent. Residents are both owners and tenants, with many receiving the age pension, or other benefits, and are entitled to receive Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA). We examine three interrelated processes encouraging the growth of MHEs as specialised housing for older Australians. First, CRA payments are promoted by operators as a form of government support that improves the affordability of MHE living, while also contributing to their own financial returns. Second, the location of properties developed by operators is in response to demand from Australia’s ageing population. Third, and related, new supply in coastal locations drives amenity retirement migration, where older people relocate to locations of natural amenity. Using data on CRA payments to residents in MHEs and permanent residents in caravan parks reveals the geographic distribution of this form of housing for older Australians.

Gjirokastra rebirth through distributed retirement houses

Gjirokastra rebirth through distributed retirement houses

Manufactured home estates as retirement living in Australia, identifying the key drivers

Manufactured Home Estates (MHEs) have become increasingly popular in Australia as a retirement housing option and in response, large investor-operators have entered the industry accumulating extensive portfolios. MHEs are appealing to investors as they require lower levels of capital investment compared to other forms of retirement housing and are supported by policy settings which maximise financial returns. The financial and regulatory environment in Australia has resulted in an investment structure where investors are required to act as operators. This paper identifies and examines five interconnected drivers which have encouraged investor-operators to commence MHEs and accumulate large portfolios. First, Australia’s ageing population emerges as a key driver of demand for retirement housing. Second, MHEs represent affordable housing for retirees. Third, broader housing policy providing support to low-income households improves financial returns to investor-operators. Fourth, investor-operator financial returns are improved by the requirement that residents purchase their dwellings through designated suppliers on which a fee is received. Fifth, the investment potential of MHE is linked to planning policies which permit their development on sites outside established residential areas, sometimes creating problems by locating older Australians in hazard affected locations. This paper provides important insights into contemporary analysis of seniors housing in Australia by outlining how policy settings have encouraged investor-operators to purchase and develop of MHEs and how, drawing on scholarship of the financialisation of housing, the investment logics of owner-investors situates MHEs as financial asset, not simply as affordable retirement housing.

Spatial composition and building techniques of farmhouses prone to windstorms:a case study in Arakawa Village, Shiga Prefecture, Japan

ABSTRACT In Arakawa Village, the strong Hira downslope windstorm blowing from the Hira Mountains toward Lake Biwa, poses a great challenge for timber housing structures, which are prone to deformation. To understand the countermeasures applied in local farmhouses to mitigate the effect of wind attacks, features of historical housing and land lot layouts from the Meiji Era (1868–1912) were studied and interviews with local villagers and craftsmen were conducted. It was found that a significant majority of houses were built along the wind direction, with a closed front façade. Contrariwise, subsidiary structures, such as storage buildings and retirement houses, were placed perpendicularly to the wind direction, forming wind fences to protect the front yards, which served as agricultural workspaces. The features of spatial composition have been explained by local craftsmen as technical countermeasures; according to them, farmhouses were built on an incline of about 3–5 cm into the wind direction to mitigate deformation of timber structure. The study suggests that spatial composition of vernacular farmhouses and building techniques could offer effective strategies for sustainable rural planning and be employed to enhance the wind resistance of modern timber constructions, especially for regions prone to powerful prevailing winds worldwide.

Marketing retirement housing as aspirational and not a sign of crisis

We conducted consumer research with more than 2,000 adults and more than 100 representatives from retirement housing providers from across the UK to identify the “perception gap” and gathered high-profile representatives from across the retirement housing sector to discuss the data. Our research shows that the public are unsure about the benefits and services provided by retirement housing schemes – often confusing them with care homes and nursing homes to the detriment of the sector. We identify an untapped referrer market for retirement living, that men should be targeted with entry-level information and people should be targeted before retirement age when perceptions are less “fixed”. We show the services that matter most to ABC1 demographic and the sources they use to find information. We outline how the sector can make retirement housing a model of “want” instead of a model of “need”.

Pracovní povinnost studentů za časů pandemie covid-19

The paper deals with an obligation to perform mandatory work which was imposed on specific groups of students during the covid-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic. The first part of the paper handles mandatory work or service generally, and the author deals with the prohibition of forced labour and analyses cases when mandatory work or service may be exacted. The second part is focused on mandatory work exacted during the covid-19 pandemic in 2020, when students of medical and social care disciplines were obligated to perform mandatory work especially in hospitals or retirement houses. The author analyses the government’s decisions which imposed mandatory work on students and shows particular problems related to the mandatory work performed by students during the covid-19 pandemic.

Who are you? What do you do? What do you bring? A florin!

My contribution consists in some ethnographic notes taken by a freelance cultural anthropologist living in Turin (capital of Piedmont, in the North-West, one of the regions most affected by Covid19) on the situation of the pandemic in Italy as seen with a very informal participant observation. After a very short chronicle of the lockdown, useful to set the different phases of the lockdown in Italy and the timing of the events, I write about the many issues faced by Italian citizens in the period, from inequality in living the pandemic to grassroots initiatives to answers it, from reclusion conditions in a variety of contexts (house, prisons, retirement houses) to strategies to get out anyway (for good reasons), from stereotypes Italian are (sometimes correctly) perceived abroad to the misunderstanding of the instruction of personal distancing, from the concept of family to that of community. All this reporting my same participation to some initiatives and actions, introducing my reflections and moreover witnessing the irony we used to face the fear.

The epidemiology of proximal femur fractures during COVID-19 emergency in Italy: a multicentric study.

Background and aim:After the first Italian case of Covid-19, the Government imposed the complete closure of all areas involved by the spread of the virus to contain transmissions. There was a massive reorganization of Hospitals, a stop of all elective activities and a convertion of many hospitals in “Covid Centers’’. AITOG (Associazione Italiana Traumatologia e Ortopedia Geriatrica) conducted a retrospective study on all proximal femur fractures surgeries that occurred in this period, to find out whether the pandemic and the correlated lockdown somehow changed the incidence of these events.Methods:10 Italian orthopedic centers were involved in the study. Considering the geographic location, three groups were created (North, Centre and South). The considered period is the Italian “Phase 1” (February 23rd - May 3rd 2020).Results:the cohort is composed of 412 patients, 116 male and 296 female (mean age 81.1 ± 9.1 years). The same period of 2019 has been used as control group, with 558 patients, 156 male and 402 female (mean age 84.2 ± 8.0 years). In 2020 we counted 323 (78.4%) fractures occurred at home, 61 (14.8%) in retirement houses and 28 (6.8%) in different locations. We mainly treated fractures with intramedullary nails (n.237 57.5%). Among all patients we had 46 (11.1%) Covid-19 positive. The mortality rate within 30 days was of 51 patients (12.4%); 23 of these died because of complications related to Covid-19 while 31 of these were in treatment with anticoagulant/antiaggregant.Conclusions:AITOG analysis demonstrates a decrease in surgical interventions for proximal femur fractures from 2019 to 2020, a reduction in patients mean age and an increase in trauma occurred in domestic environment. We also registered a consistent difference between the North, Center and South of the Country. (www.actabiomedica.it)

The Patriotic Turn in Russia: Political Convergence of the Russian Orthodox Church and the State?

AbstractFollowing two decades of a state-supported patriotic campaign, the Russian Orthodox Church has dramatically increased its presence in the public sphere: in the Armed Forces, in public schools and universities, and even in retirement houses and prisons. The Church's recent activities seem to have no territorial limits: they reach up to the space station “Mir” and the Russian Antarctic Station, as well as the (Russian) Orthodox believers in 62 states. Using a critical discourse analysis of the speeches of top Church leaders as our main methodological tool, our research explores the Church's policies on patriotism and patriotic education, its re-interpretation of historical memory, and the role of the Church in Russian politics. We try to show that while the Church's agenda and approach to politics are idiosyncratic, the Church has become a key actor with an increasingly important political role.

A Study on the Activation of Developing the Retirees Town

본 연구는 빠른 속도로 진행되고 있는 초고령화 시대에 대비하여 은퇴자의 노후 주거 및 복지 문제 해결을 위한 은퇴자도시의 계획적 개발이 필요하다는 인식에서 시작되었다. 그러나 저출산과 고령화에 대한 정부의 정책은 극히 소극적이고 민간 부분에서도 나서지 않고 있다. 이에 비하여 산업화와 도시화를 먼저 경험한 미국과 영국 등 선진국에서는 물리적인 도시계획과 사회적인 공동체를 결합하여 고령화에 대응하는 노인과 은퇴자의 집단주거단지와 대규모 은퇴자마을을 체계적으로 건설 및 운영하고 있다. 본 연구에서는 개인별로 추구하는 농촌생활에 대한 제도적 문제점을 분석하고 해외 은퇴자 마을 사례와 국내의 은퇴자 공동체 마을 및 전원도시 개발에 대한 시험적 사례를 대안으로 소개하였다.This study began with the recognition that development of retirement cities is necessary to solve the retirement housing and welfare problems of retirees for the rapidly aging era. However, the government s policy on low birthrates and aging has been extremely passive and the private sector has not been participated. In contrast, advanced countries such as the U.S. and the U.K., which experienced industrialization and urbanization first, have combined physical urban planning with social communities to systematically build and operate collective residential complexes for the elderly and retirees and large retirement villages to cope with the aging population. This study analyzed the institutional problems of rural life pursued by individuals and introduced examples of overseas retiree villages and test cases of domestic retiree community village and rural town development as alternatives.

Effectiveness of integrated chronic care interventions for older people with different frailty levels: a systematic review protocol.

IntroductionFrailty poses a huge burden to individuals, their families and to healthcare systems. Several interventions have been evaluated for the improvement of outcomes for older people with frailty, including integrated care interventions. Reviews synthesising evidence on the effectiveness of integrated care for older people with frailty have treated them as a single population, without considering the heterogeneity between different frailty levels such as non-frail, mild frailty, moderate frailty and severe frailty. Findings from these studies have shown inconsistent results on the various outcomes assessed. People with different frailty status have different care needs, which should be addressed accordingly. The aim of this study is to synthesise evidence on the effectiveness of integrated care interventions on older people with different frailty status who are community dwelling or living in retirement housing or residential setting but not in care homes or in nursing homes.Methods and analysisThis is a protocol for a systematic review assessing the effectiveness of integrated chronic care interventions on older people with different frailty status. A literature search will be conducted on the databases Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and clinical trial registers. Two authors will independently conduct search and screening for eligible studies. Full-text screening will be used to include only studies that fulfil the inclusion criteria. Data extraction will be done on a data extraction form and methodological quality of studies will be assessed using the Effective Practice and Organisation of Care risk of bias tool. The interventions will be described following Wagner’s Chronic Care Model.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval for this study was obtained from the Institute for Health Research Ethics Committee of the University of Bedfordshire (IHREC934). The results of the review will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed journal article, conferences and also with local provider and user stakeholders.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020166908.

Understanding and supporting safe walking with purpose among people living with dementia in extra care, retirement and domestic housing

PurposeThe purpose this paper is to explore walking with purpose in extra care, retirement and domestic housing settings to better understand and support people living with dementia in these settings, develop recommendations and inform practice.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-methods study was used: scoping literature review; online survey of extra care and retirement housing managers in the UK; case studies involving interviews with staff and family carers (n= 14) of ten individuals who engaged in walking with purpose in the different housing settings.FindingsAlthough residents who walk with purpose constitute a minority (0–2 residents), managing walking with purpose can be challenging and time consuming. Distraction or redirection was the most common response. Other strategies included identifying the resident’s motivations and accommodating their wishes or walking with them. Culture of care, staff training and dementia-friendly design are keys to effective support for safe walking with purpose. Responses to walking with purpose in the domestic housing settings have raised serious deprivation of liberty issues.Research limitations/implicationsThis study had a number of limitations. The completed survey questionnaires represent a self-selected sample of extra care and retirement housing settings, and responses are based on the perceptions of the staff members completing the survey. There were a relatively small number of case study sites (three extra care housing and three retirement housing), and it was not possible to interview family members for all of the residents who walked with purpose.Originality/valueThis study provides unique data on walking with purpose in extra care and retirement housing setting in the UK.

Substance use disorder in the elderly and specified DSM-5 criteria

Substance use disorder (SUD) is commonly thought to be less frequent among the elderly than among younger adults. However, this disorder could be insufficiently screened in this population. And the diagnosis could be difficult to make especially because of specificities of this population. The diagnosis is based on the criteria of the DSM-5. Nevertheless, DSM-5 criteria were elaborated for younger adults and some of them could be inappropriate for older adults. We studied the frequency of the DSM-5 criteria in a population of 59 patients aged around of 80 years, non-dependent and exposed to alcohol or benzodiazepines. We collected data relative to age, gender, type of residence (self-home or retirement house), medical past history, current treatment. Patient were also asked about their alcohol consumption, time of exposition, quantity of alcohol ingested or dose of benzodiazepines ingested and frequency of consumption. Alcohol consumption was reported as alcohol unit per day (one unit containing 10-gram alcohol). Frequency consisted in number of days with consumption in a week. Concerning benzodiazepine with evaluated the quantity by converting dose in equivalent diazepam per day. We determine the frequency of each criterion and the association with SUD diagnosis. We found that 45% of patients presented a diagnosis of SUD. DSM criteria 1, 2, 4, 9, 10 and 11 were found significantly more frequently in patients with addiction than in those without addiction. On the regression analysis criteria 1, 4, 6, 9, 10 and 11 as well as the number of units of alcohol consumed per day were associated with the diagnosis of addiction. The other socio-demographic factors were not associated with the diagnosis. This pilot study highlights that certain DSM-5 addiction criteria seem to be more relevant to seek in the elderly.

HOME EQUITY IN RETIREMENT

AbstractRetired homeowners dissave more slowly than renters, which suggests that homeownership affects retirees' saving decisions. We investigate empirically and theoretically the life‐cycle patterns of homeownership, housing, and nonhousing assets in retirement. Using an estimated structural model of saving and housing decisions, we find first that homeowners dissave slowly because they prefer to stay in their house as long as possible but cannot easily borrow against it. Second, the 1996–2006 housing boom significantly increased homeowners' assets. These channels are quantitatively significant; without considering homeownership, retirees' net worth would be 28%–44% lower, depending on age.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the Emergency Room and Orthopedic Departments in Piacenza: a retrospective analysis.

Introduction and Aim:The Coronavirus pandemic represents one of the most massive health emergencies in the last century. Aim of the study is to evaluate the trend of E.R. accesses and orthopaedic events during the pandemic of Covid-19.Materials and Methods:we retrospectively analysed all data related to patients admitted to the E.R. Department of the Hospital of Piacenza from August 26th 2019 to August 23rd 2020, splitting this period on February 23rd 2020.Results:Our analysis shows a reduction of -18.0% in E.R. accesses. We calculated a growth of deaths in the E.R. equal to +220%. Our orthopaedic pathway recorded a drop of -26.8%. Traumas occurred at home increased (+19.1%). We note an actual drop only on proximal femur fractures (weighted average of -17.7%), while all the others underwent an increase.Discussion:The amount of E.R. accesses registered a drop -18.0%, while the pathway dedicated to emergency cases underwent an increase. The major complexity of clinical conditions influenced the number of hospitalizations and the fear of the infection increased hospitalization refusals. There has been a zeroing of school traumas, a reduction in sport, transfer home-work/work-home, work, roadside, injuries. Total amount of fractures strongly increase after the end of the lockdown.Conclusion:our data confirmed the decrease of retirement houses, sports, works and roadsides traumas and a zeroing of schools ones, while those occurred inside domestic environment underwent a consistent raise. We noticed a reduction in femur fractures and significant spread of all fractures after the end of the lockdown.

“Selling Sunshine”: The Mackle Company's Marketing Campaign to Build Retirement and Vacation Communities in South Florida, 1945–1975

The Mackle Company of Miami rose to national prominence in the mid-1950s when it shifted to the vacation and retirement housing market. Capitalizing on a newly emerging population of retirees with disposable pension income and on a growing number of middle-class Americans seeking fun in the sun, the family firm targeted these groups in an aggressive, nationwide marketing campaign. Central in this promotional scheme were the sundrenched locations of its residential developments on the east and west coasts of south Florida. The Mackles’ marketing strategies belie a complex relationship with the environment, one deeply rooted in American ideas regarding the perfectibility of nature. The company’s houses, typically containing generous indoor-outdoor living spaces and lined with bands of windows opening onto waterfront lots, were presumably designed for a living experience tailored to the Edenic qualities of the Sunshine State. But, paradoxically, they relied on central air conditioning, a modern amenity intended to thwart the tropical climate that lured northerners to Florida in the first place. Moreover, the company depended on significant land modifications through dredging and filling, bulkheading and canal digging, beach improvements, and clearing of foliage and trees to make its communities inhabitable and appealing to its out-of-state clients. The tension between celebrating Florida’s subtropical landscape while simultaneously altering it pervaded the company’s marketing materials, even as the scale of the Mackle Company’s efforts increased, culminating in an ambitious project at Marco Island begun in the mid-1960s. Although the Mackles’ ambitions did not succeed to the extent they envisioned, their sales pitch to “sell sunshine” dramatically reshaped the cultural and natural landscape of south Florida.