Residential Environment and Active Ageing: The Role of Physical Barriers in Leisure Participation

Friendly Residential Environments and Subjective Well-Being in Older People with and without Help Needs

“…Well-being can be considered a measure of social progress, associated with better health outcomes, better physical and cognitive function, lower levels of frailty and disability, and lower mortality [ 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 ]. The physical and social characteristics of the environment can be protective or detrimental to older people’s health [ 22 , 55 ]. Ultimately, friendly environments can contribute to improving older people’s well-being by matching environmental resources to individual needs.…”

“…The age-friendly cities and communities movement, launched by the World Health Organization, emerged in this context and right now is probably the international meeting point for discussing innovative public policies on ageing aimed at adapting to global demographic changes and global urbanization [ 18 , 19 ]. Indeed, this paradigm shift is often seen as a result of several trends, including the complexity of demographic change, the policy objective to support keeping people in their homes for as long as possible [ 20 ], and the recognition of the role of the environment in active and healthy ageing [ 21 , 22 ]. Age-friendliness is a holistic concept [ 23 ].…”

Social Image of Old Age, Gendered Ageism and Inclusive Places: Older People in the Media

“…Recent studies based on the perceptions and preference of older people indicate that ageing in place is linked to a feeling of belonging or connection to a place and perceptions of security, familiarity, independence, and autonomy. This applies to both housing and the wider community [ 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 ]. The responses analysed show that both people living at home and those in nursing homes emphasized a preference for age-friendly environments that would permit growing older at home with access to home care or support services.…”

“…These statements coincide with those obtained from other research into active ageing in Spain, which underline the interest of older people in choosing a residential context that is different from their home when they want to avoid concerning their children [ 91 ], that provides security in terms of healthcare and attention [ 85 ], and that has no obstacles and is suited to their physical and mental needs [ 87 ]. In financial terms, owning a property tends to result in remaining in place, while not being a homeowner can be a factor that forces people to move into nursing homes [ 85 , 86 , 87 ].…”

Residential Environment Assessment by Older Adults in Nursing Homes during COVID-19 Outbreak

“…(a) Perception of the residential environment: the 10-item residential environment assessment scale (EVAER, acronym based on its name in Spanish: “Escala de VAloración del Entorno Residencial”) was employed. This scale was designed according to a broad understanding of the residential environment, which includes both physical and social aspects [ 63 ] that influence residential satisfaction and quality of life in old age [ 64 , 65 ]. It consists of 10 items measured on a Likert scale of 5 points, assessing aspects of the nursing home and daily life (very good, good, fair, poor, very poor), grouped in 4 domains: (i) relationships (with workers, residents, family, and friends); (ii) aspects regarding facilities and resources, the perception of safety and management during the pandemic; (iii) mobility within and outside the centre; and (iv) availability of single or shared rooms and other spaces for personal use.…”