Effects of Neighborhood and Individual Change on the Personal Outcomes of Recent Movers to Low-Income Senior Housing

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of neighborhood and individual change on the personal outcomes of recent movers to Canadian government-subsidized senior citizen apartment buildings (SCAs). The authors' sample included 137 recent movers to 25 SCA projects in Winnipeg, Manitoba, who participated in a longitudinal survey. The analysis involved testing four logistic and ordinary least squares regression models, with personal state outcomes of the moves (self-rated health, morale, depression, self-esteem) treated as dependent variables. Although the overall performance of the models was moderate, the entry of a block of independent change variables into the regression equations consistently registered statistically significant increases in their explanatory power. Significant predictors of the outcomes included changes in personal resources, everyday travel, and resident appraisals of service, social, and physical components of neighborhood content. The findings suggested that the older person's subjective interpretations of a new residential setting assumed more importance in producing outcomes than objective measures of that settings.T he development of appropriate housing alternatives for seniors requires a greater understanding of the adjustments of older people who move to more supportive residential facilities. In the present study, we investigated the role of neighborhood and individual factors in the residential adjustment of recent movers to a distinctive North American submarket of

Choosing between staying at home or moving: A systematic review of factors influencing housing decisions among frail older adults

“…Most common disciplinary affiliations were thus with psychology, occupational therapy and economics. Two-thirds of the studies (n = 57) were either signed by one author (n = 30) [ 29 , 40 , 46 , 49 , 59 , 62 – 65 , 68 – 70 , 72 , 74 , 76 , 80 , 93 – 95 , 97 , 100 – 108 , 110 ], by co-authors in the same discipline (n = 18) [ 10 , 41 – 45 , 52 , 54 , 55 , 67 , 73 , 75 , 83 – 85 , 90 , 96 , 99 ], or by co-authors in the same research domains (n = 9) [ 33 , 47 , 48 , 51 , 57 , 58 , 77 , 87 , 98 ]. Among the remaining 29 studies (34%), 21 were co-signed by authors from two different research domains [ 21 – 25 , 28 , 30 , 34 , 36 , 39 , 50 , 53 ,…”

“…More than half of the studies (n = 47) looked at the housing decisions of older adults only after they had made a choice [ 10 , 26 , 27 , 31 – 35 , 37 , 39 , 41 – 49 , 56 , 58 , 59 , 62 , 63 , 65 – 67 , 70 , 71 , 73 – 75 , 78 , 80 , 82 , 85 – 87 , 91 , 92 , 96 , 99 , 102 – 104 , 107 – 109 ]. Four more examined only during the decision process [ 51 , 60 , 64 , 69 ].…”

“…Twelve studies addressed the housing decision as a purely hypothetical choice, and did not record whether or when the older adults had made an actual decision [ 38 , 52 , 60 , 68 , 72 , 76 , 88 , 90 , 93 , 98 , 101 , 105 ]. Among the studies of non-hypothetical housing decisions, 38 looked at them from a post-relocation perspective [ 31 – 33 , 41 – 44 , 46 – 51 , 56 , 58 , 59 , 62 , 63 , 65 , 70 , 71 , 73 , 74 , 79 , 81 – 83 , 85 , 89 , 92 , 96 , 97 , 102 – 104 , 106 – 108 ], with 6 of them not specifying the type of destination (e.g. private dwelling, cooperative, assisted living, nursing home) [ 41 – 43 , 56 , 73 , 89 ].…”

“…In about two-thirds of the studies (n = 57), most factors influencing the housing decision were reported by study participants or by researchers through interviews, census questionnaires or observational grids [ 10 , 30 , 31 , 34 – 36 , 38 , 39 , 42 – 44 , 46 , 48 – 58 , 60 , 62 , 63 , 65 , 66 , 69 – 72 , 74 , 78 – 81 , 86 – 96 , 98 – 100 , 102 , 103 , 105 , 107 , 109 , 110 ]. Sixteen other studies referred to factors being objectively measured [ 29 , 37 , 40 , 41 , 45 , 59 , 64 , 67 , 68 , 73 , 75 – 77 , 82 , 85 , 97 ] and 13 combined both self-reported and objectively measured data [ 21 – 28 , 32 , 33 , 47 ...…”

Differential Health and Social Needs of Older Adults Waitlisted for Public Housing or Housing Choice Vouchers

“…Despite the numbers of older persons waiting for rental assistance in the U.S., this population is nearly invisible. Studies in Australia, Canada, and Europe report that older persons apply for publicly subsidized housing because they have health problems and lack informal supports and because public housing provides access to shops and public transportation (Burke, Neske, & Ralston, 2005;Prescott-Clarke, Clemons, & Park, 1994;Smith & Sylvestre, 2008;van Bilsen, Hamers, Groot, & Spreeuwenberg, 2006). One U.S. study of nonelderly, nondisabled applicants reported homelessness, rent burden and poor housing quality among waitlisted persons (Leopold, 2012).…”