Motives for Residential Mobility in Later Life: Post-Move Perspectives of Elders and Family Members

Abstract

This qualitative study delineates motives for residential mobility, describes dynamics between the elder and family members during the move decision process, and locates the move decision within ecological layers of the aging context. Interviews were conducted with 30 individuals and couples (ages 60-87) who experienced a community-based move within the past year, and with 14 extended family members. Reasons for moving (from perspectives of both elders who moved and their family members) were grouped into four themes and eleven issues that influenced the move decision. These themes parallel the ecological context of individual health and functioning, beliefs and attitudes, physical environment, and social pressures. Late-life mobility is a significant life transition that is the outcome of an ongoing appraisal and reappraisal of housing fit with individual functioning, needs, and aspirations. Family members are an integral part of these decision and residential mobility processes.Well, she moved because my sister and I decided she was going to move. But she wanted to move. It wouldn't have happened if we hadn't decided that she was gonna move. It was a little complicated . . . -Linda Brierton's daughter, Karen Late life residential mobility is a significant life course event that differs from moves at other life stages in three ways:

Relocation to ordinary or special housing in very old age: aspects of housing and health

“…A move in old age is considered to be a major life event (Sergeant and Ekerdt 2008), and relocation among old and very old people is a hot topic in the public debate across Europe. Still, the knowledge on factors that predict moves to ordinary housing or to institutional settings is insufficient.…”

“…Regarding relocation to ordinary housing in old age, previous research has identified a diversity of influential aspects. That is, older people do not move because of one but many reasons, with aspects of housing and health highly intertwined (Sergeant and Ekerdt 2008;Stimson and McCrea 2004). A retrospective study among people aged 60-89 who were living alone showed that moves made to another ordinary dwelling were more often motivated by aspects of housing than aspects of health (Oswald et al 2002).…”

“…Predictors of relocation to ordinary housing were living in a large dwelling, recently being alone, living isolated in a rural area, and having lived in the dwelling for at least 10 years. Other frequently reported housing-related reasons for moving within ordinary housing are demanding maintenance of large garden or home (Hansen and Gottschalk 2006;Stimson and McCrea 2004;Sergeant and Ekerdt 2008). Summing up on this review on current literature on relocation in old age, the relation between aspects of health and relocation to institutional settings is well established, but we know less about the influence of aspects of housing.…”

Putting on the moves

“…Short-and long-distance moves tend to be motivated by different factors and undertaken by different people. For instance, there is a substantial body of work on residential mobility across the life-course that shows that moves are frequently associated with triggers related to life events, such as entry into the labour market, marriage, pregnancy, retirement, and widowhood (Clark and Withers 1999;Sergeant and Ekerdt 2008). Many such "life-course" moves are short-distance, as people upgrade or downgrade their living space, move between city and suburb, or relocate to be closer to place of work.…”

Racial Differences in the Effects of Neighborhood Disadvantage on Residential Mobility in Later Life

“…Gerontological research suggests that individual-level variables and life course events influence the likelihood of moving in later life. For instance, research has shown that residential mobility in older age is more prevalent among retirees than those still employed, in younger than older old age, among those with higher levels of education or economic resources, in those with health concerns or disability, and those in urban versus rural areas (Sergeant & Ekerdt, 2008;Taylor, Morin, Cohn, & Wang, 2008;Walters, 2002). Less is known about the influence of neighborhood conditions on residential mobility in later life.…”