Senior houses provide social interaction and support, potentially supporting older people’s physical and mental functioning. Few studies have investigated functioning of senior house residents. The aim was to compare functioning between senior house residents and community-dwelling older adults in Finland. We compared senior house residents (n = 336, 69% women, mean age 83 years) to community-dwelling older adults (n = 1139, 56% women, mean age 74 years). Physical and mental functioning were assessed using the SF 36-Item Health Survey. Loneliness and frequency of social contacts were self-reported. The analyses were adjusted for age, socioeconomic factors and diseases. Physical functioning was lower among men in senior houses compared to community-dwelling men (mean 41.1 vs. 46.4, p = 0.003). Mental functioning or the frequency of social contacts did not differ between type of residence in either sex. Loneliness was higher among women in senior houses compared to community-dwelling women (OR = 1.67, p = 0.027). This was not observed in men. Results suggest that women in senior houses had similar physical and mental functioning compared to community-dwelling women. Male senior house residents had poorer physical functioning compared to community-dwelling men. Women living in senior houses were lonelier than community-dwelling women despite the social environment.

Syftet med denna enkät-studien är att utreda samband mellan aktivt åldrande, gemenskap och delaktighet hos åldringar som bor i seniorhus. Utöver detta syftar forskningen till att producera beskrivande information om hälsa och välmående hos åldringar i seniorhus. Målgruppen var självständigt boende i Folkhälsans seniorhus. Största delen av respondenterna var över 80 år gamla, kvinnor, svenskspråkiga och bodde ensamma. De mest aktiva seniorerna hade bättre hälsorelaterad livskvalitet samt mindre symptom av depression, och deltog mer i verksamheten i seniorhuset och hade en högre känsla av samhörighet. Respondenternas känsla av samhörighet korrelerade positivt med psykiskt välmående, högre vitalitet och energinivå. Enligt resultaten kan man konstatera att aktivt åldrande, gemenskap och delaktighet är i samband hos invånarna i seniorhus. Det är viktigt att sträva till att öka möjligheterna till att vara aktiv och delaktig i seniorhus, vilket även kan öka känslan av gemenskap. Seniorhus har utmärkta möjligheter att mångsidigt stöda den äldres välmående.

Objectives Leading an active life in old age underpins positive life experience. This study aimed to compare the levels of active aging in senior housing residents and community-dwelling older people. Methods We combined data from the BoAktiv senior house survey (N = 336, 69% women, mean age 83 years) and AGNES cohort study among community-dwelling older adults (N = 1021, 57% women, mean age 79 years). Active aging was assessed with the University of Jyvaskyla Active Aging scale. Data were analyzed with general linear models, and the analyses were stratified by sex. Results Men in senior houses demonstrated lower active aging scores in general than community-dwelling men. Women in senior houses showed greater will to be active, but poorer ability and possibilities for activity than community-dwelling women. Discussion Despite the social and supporting environment, senior housing residents’ possibilities for leading an active life seem to be compromised, potentially leading to an unmet activity need.