Health and Its Relationship with Residential Relocations of Older People to Institutions versus to Independent Dwellings

Abstract

Research into older people’s relocations to independent dwellings has largely remained separate from research into moves to institutions. Yet, both types of moves could be a response to health problems and to a certain extent they could be substitutes for each other. Using Litwak and Longino’s model of moves of older people, this study assesses the extent to which three commonly used health measures (limitations in activities of daily living [ADL], self-rated health, and the prevalence of [limiting] chronic conditions) predict older people’s moves to subsidized care institutions and elsewhere, in one multinomial logistic regression model. The data were derived from the POLS survey for the Netherlands (N = 8306) enriched with administrative data on subsequent moves. In line with Litwak and Longino’s model, the findings indicate that older people’s moves to institutions were more likely among those with more severe health problems, whereas moves elsewhere were more likely among those with moderate health problems. Among the three investigated health measures, limitations in ADL had the strongest predictive value, and was the only one for which the difference in effect between relocations to care institutions and relocations elsewhere was statistically significant.

Travel distance to the general practitioner. Do patients move closer to the services when starting to use them?1

“…Health-related residential relocation is a well-known phenomenon (Wilmoth 2010, van der Pers et al 2018). Of course, shorter travel time to the GP may coincide with access to other health-related amenities, like specialist services, pharmacies, easily maintained condominiums instead of an older house in the countryside, closeness to neighbors and relatives, transportation services, etc.…”

The geography of older adults' migration in China: Spatial patterns and driving forces

“…However, using a microapproach, other studies emphasize the changing needs of living arrangements over the course of life as the core driver of migration (Bernard et al, 2014; Findlay et al, 2015). For older adults, the increasing need for intergenerational ties and social support is crucial for their migration decisions, especially when they experience life‐course events such as the birth of grandchildren, retirement or health deterioration (Stockdale & MacLeod, 2013; van der Pers et al, 2018). Nevertheless, the over‐60‐year‐olds are not homogenous; therefore, their migration needs and behaviours may vary across age groups and other factors.…”