Living Arrangements Research Articles

Loneliness in urban neighbourhoods: an Anglo-Dutch comparison.

Past studies in the UK and the Netherlands indicate that loneliness varies significantly according to characteristics of older people's residential environment. This raises questions regarding potential neighbourhood influences on individuals' social relationships in later life. This article examines neighbourhood influences on loneliness, using multiple classification analysis on comparable empirical data collected in the UK and the Netherlands. UK data arise from a survey of 501 people aged 60+ in deprived neighbourhoods of three English cities. Netherlands data derive from the NESTOR Living Arrangements and Social Network survey, with a sub-sample of 3,508 people aged 60+ drawn from a nationally representative sample of older people, living in 11 municipalities. Both surveys incorporated the 11-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. In addition to neighbourhood characteristics and indicators of health and social embeddedness, a typology of eight groups of persons was developed that accounted for individuals' age, sex, and partner status. While 13% of participants in the UK were severely lonely, the proportion in the Netherlands was just four per cent. Mean loneliness scores in the UK varied significantly between the neighbourhoods under investigation. Additionally, the evaluated quality of the residential neighbourhood accounted for a relatively large degree of variance in loneliness in both countries.

Would You Marry Me? The Effects of Marriage on German Couples' Allocation of Time

Living arrangements have undergone considerable change in recent decades. In most Western countries marriage is no longer the exclusive context of family formation. These demographic trends challenge the microeconomic literature in which couples living in consensual unions are implicitly assumed to act exactly as married couples. A closer look at the literature reveals, however, growing evidence of the link between marital status and household behavior with respect to many outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the shift from cohabitation to marriage is associated with a significant change in household market and non-market labor supply. More specifically, we use a long German panel (GSOEP) to test whether the transition from cohabitation to marriage reinforces the degree of specialization among couples. We estimate a model that relates married life to the female-to-male domestic and market work hours log ratios. Other regressors of the log ratios are the female relative earnings, the number of children and the duration of the relationship. Our results suggest that marriage increases female specialization in home-based activities. Importantly, marriage leads to a fall in women's leisure, particularly for couples with pre-school children. The results also exhibit a fall in married men's leisure coming from either a rise in market hours or an increase in domestic hours depending on the specification.

The Reversal of Favorable Child Living Arrangement Trends of the Late 1990s

AbstractDuring the late 1990s, there was a notable shift in child living arrangements toward two‐parent households and away from single parenthood. Whether due to economic factors, declining teen birth rates, welfare reform, or some other cultural cause or a combination of these factors, something happened in the 1990s that stabilized marriage rates and led to declines in single‐parent households. There was also considerable hope that the federal welfare reforms enacted in 1996 might be responsible for the change in these trends. However, since 2000, while the downward trend in teen births continues, the gains in percentage of children living with two parents have been virtually eliminated. This article carefully documents these recent trends, examines the relationship of recessions on child living arrangements, and concludes that it is impossible to disentangle the role of welfare reform from its broader economic, policy, and demographic context.

The Impact of Economic, Demographic, and Cultural Changes on Preferences for Independent Living Arrangements and Seniors Housing in South Korea

Asian countries are experiencing demographic, economic, and cultural changes that are altering housing and living arrangements. Many South Korean baby boomers will enter retirement with sufficient financial resources to live independently of their children if they choose to do so. Using a derivation of push-pull and life-course movement models, regression analysis results indicate that preference for both independent living arrangements and seniors housing is related to availability of pension resources, sex, presence of a son, and attitudes about intergenerational living, in-home care, and seniors housing. Pensions are an enabling factor; however, the cultural expectation of the eldest son providing housing for his aging parents may continue to moderate the demand for seniors housing developments. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service:

Housing and the Older Rural Population

From a policy standpoint, housing for the rural elderly has essentially been ignored. Among the many reasons are a lack of political power and the general perception that rural populations cannot be served efficiently or economically. However, the changing demographic profile of the older population itself will likely make housing and support services to rural elderly a compelling issue in the near future. Despite the development of various alternative living arrangements, most remain unavailable to all but a small proportion of the rural population. In an effort to encourage dialog, this article reviews the demographic characteristics of the rural elderly population and briefly introduces Home Sharing; Share-A-Home; and Cooperative Living Arrangements as promising alternatives to traditional housing types.

Health and Living Arrangements Among Older Americans

This research examines how physical and mental health influence living arrangements among older Americans and whether these effects differ for married and unmarried persons. Data came from the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old study. These two intervals were pooled, and hierarchical multinomial logistic regressions were used to analyze pooled time lags. Functional status and cognitive functioning are significantly associated with living arrangements among those not married. Health conditions exert no significant effects among those married. Given the same functional status, unmarried elders are significantly more likely than their married counterparts to reside with their children or with others. These results underscore the critical role of the spouse in influencing living arrangements, providing new evidence supporting the assertion that a spouse is the greatest guarantee of support in old age and the importance of the marriage institution.

Our Homes, Our Lives - Choice in Later Life Living Arrangements

Our Homes, Our Lives - Choice in Later Life Living Arrangements

Social Security and Elderly Living Arrangements

Previous studies of the effect of Social Security on elderly living arrangements generally have relied on data from the distant past or differences in benefits across families or cohorts that potentially were correlated with other determinants of living arrangements. Using data from the 1980–99 Current Population Surveys, we attempt to isolate the causal effect of Social Security on living arrangements with an instrumental-variable approach that relies on the large shifts in benefits for cohorts born from 1910–21, the socalled Social Security notch. Over all elderly households, the estimated elasticity of living with others with respect to Social Security income is -0.4, with elasticities of -1.3 and -1.4 for the widowed and divorced, respectively; most of the effects on living arrangements appear to be concentrated among the lesser educated as well. Our estimated elasticities are substantially larger than those from previous studies and suggest that reductions in current benefits would alter living arrangements significantly.

The Changing Living Arrangements of Children, 1946–2001⋆

Widespread social changes over the last half century have been reflected in changes in family forms. These changes have resulted in increased family diversity which, in turn, is reflected in the more diverse living arrangements experienced by children as they grow up. This paper is the first to provide reliable national estimates of the extent to which the living arrangements of Australian children have changed. Using relationship and fertility histories from the nationally representative Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia household panel survey (HILDA), the analysis describes the changing patterns of living arrangements of 12,441 children between 1946–2001. Its methodology allows the examination of the different living arrangements experienced by children during the first 15 years of life and avoids the static analysis that relies on point-in-time estimates. Furthermore, unlike analysis that relies on official birth and divorce statistics, the present analysis is able to identify family changes experienced by children as a result of parental separation. Thus, it takes into account transitions related to parental cohabitation as well as marriage.

Satisfaction with Living Arrangements of Older Adults with Intellectual Disability

Living arrangements for older adults with intellectual disability are an important aspect of service provision. However, relatively little work has examined service users’ satisfaction and dissatisfaction with where they live. Interviews were conducted with 92 service users with intellectual disability aged over 40 living in residential accommodation or with parents or guardians. A questionnaire addressing service users’ living arrangements was completed by 103 carers or guardians. Service users identified physical features of living arrangements, the provision of activities, and staff as primary contributors to satisfaction. Primary contributors to dissatisfaction were staff issues such as hindering personal independence, impatience and personnel shortages. Service users living with family or guardians were more likely to report being happy but also to report loneliness than those in group homes. Carers’ responses largely mirrored those provided by service users but differences emerged with respect to appropriateness of existing accommodation.

Adaptation by Elders to New Living Arrangements Following Hospitalization: A Qualitative, Retrospective Analysis

Relocation experience emerged as a major finding from two previous studies that tracked elders in the community after discharge from a transitional unit. This study involved follow-up of 5 elders from the two previous studies who relocated to a variety of new living arrangements. Purposes were (a) to identify how decisions were made to change living arrangements, (b) to describe the process of adaptation to relocation as it evolved over time including challenges and strategies used to address them, and (c) to identify indicators of effective adaptation. A phenomenological approach based on interviews, observations, and comparative analysis was used to capture the insiders' views of these elders. An account of each individual adaptive process was developed. Comparison across cases led to two major themes—sense of place and sense of self—which are proposed as indicators of effective adaptation. Implications of findings for service provision, public policy, and future research are examined.

Premarital Living Arrangements and the Transition to First Marriage in Japan

This article evaluates the relevance of a popular emphasis on the benefits of extended coresidence with parents as an explanation for the trend toward later marriage in Japan. Estimating hazard models for the transition to first marriage separately by gender, living arrangements, and birth cohort, I find that the trend toward later marriage is indeed more pronounced among young men and women living with parents. Conditional on coresidence, however, there is little evidence that access to parental provision of financial resources and domestic services is negatively associated with marriage. I suggest alternative scenarios in which parental resources may contribute to later marriage by facilitating children's independence rather than by keeping them at home.

The Role of Community Context in Immigrant Elderly Living Arrangements

Previous studies of the determinants of living arrangements for immigrant elderly have focused on cultural tradition or individual characteristics, without addressing community-level structural factors. This study examined the living arrangements of Korean American elderly. The authors hypothesized that the probability of Korean American elderly living independently is associated with community characteristics, specifically the availability of subsidized housing near Korean ethnic communities. Using the U.S. Census Bureau 1990 Public Use Microdata Sample, the authors compared the living arrangements of Korean Americans aged 60 and over in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City. After adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, cultural, and health factors, Korean American elderly in New York City are less likely to live independently compared to those in Los Angeles or Chicago. Using Korean business directories and public housing lists, the authors found that the availability of subsidized housing and the concentration of Korean businesses are jointly associated with residential autonomy.

Arranjos de vida de idosos nos Estados Unidos

Este artigo repassa a literatura corrente no que se refere a arranjos de vida (condições e locais de moradia e co-habitação) entre idosos nos EUA. As razões para o estudo dos arranjos de vida estão delineadas e as tendências agregadas estão humanizadas. Os dois modelos conceituais comumente usados nesta área de pesquisa estão apresentados. Estes modelos identificam as características de nível que influenciam os arranjos de vida na terceira idade. Argumentamos que uma pesquisa mais dinâmica é necessária para explicar o processo de transição do arranjo de vida. Esta perspectiva se baseia na teoria de Lawton, que analisa a pessoa com seu próprio ambiente social e cultural e se baseia em uma análise longitudinal. Para terminar, discutimos os caminhos para a pesquisa futura.

The impact of the AIDS epidemic on older persons.

The impact of the AIDS epidemic on older persons.

Elderly Living Arrangements in Bulgaria, The Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, and Romania

Using unique 1990-round census microdata, thepaper describes the household arrangements ofelderly people in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic,Estonia, Finland and Romania. We overview suchtopics as institutionalization, ``headship''rates, ``relationship to reference person,''general household composition, and solitaryliving. Few elders in any country lived withrelatives other than children or spouses. However, elder living arrangements in Finlandexhibit a more ``Northern European'' pattern,those in Bulgaria and Romania a ``SoutheasternEuropean'' pattern and those in the CzechRepublic a somewhat intermediate pattern. Thesituation in Estonia seemed again distinct.

Living arrangements among older immigrants in the United States.

This analysis uses data from the 1990 5% Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) to identify the individual-level characteristics that influence residential dependence among immigrants age 60 and older in the United States. Particular attention is given to differences among 11 immigrant groups. Separate models are shown by gender and marital status. The results indicate that Hispanic and most Asian immigrants, particularly those from Mexico, Central or South America, India, and the Pacific Islands, are at a greater risk of living with family than non-Hispanic White immigrants. Although resource, need, and demographic characteristics influence the risk of living with Family, these individual-level characteristics do not explain the observed differences across the immigrant groups. These findings suggest that preferences that are shaped by the immigrant's experience as well as cultural background are an important determinant of immigrant living arrangements in later life.

Old-Age Support in Developing Countries: Labor Supply, Intergenerational Transfers and Living Arrangements

Old-Age Support in Developing Countries: Labor Supply, Intergenerational Transfers and Living Arrangements

Book Review: Rethinking Households: An Atomistic Perspective on European Living Arrangements

Book Review: Rethinking Households: An Atomistic Perspective on European Living Arrangements

Long-term care and ethnicity

Preface Introduction Data Sources and Profiles of the Samples Psychological Symptomatology among African American, Hispanic, and White Frail Elders Perceived Health, Financial Strain, and Psychological Distress among Mexican American, Cuban American, and Puerto Rican Elders Determinants of Applications for Nursing Home Placement: A National Perspective Determinants of Applications for Nursing Home Placement among Frail African American and White Elders Utilization of In-Home and Community-Based Services among White, African American, and Hispanic Elders Use of In-Home and Community-Based Services among Mexican American, Cuban American, and Puerto Rican Elders Living Arrangements and Utilization of Formal Services Ethnicity, Informal Caregiving, and Caregiver Burden Conclusion: Practice and Policy Implications Index