Hostname: page-component-7f64f4797f-7vssv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-11-04T04:34:20.171Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The creation of age-friendly environments is especially important to frail older people

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 December 2016

JANE M. CRAMM ,
HANNA M. VAN DIJK  and
ANNA P. NIEBOER
JANE M. CRAMM*
Affiliation:
Institute of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
HANNA M. VAN DIJK
Affiliation:
Institute of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
ANNA P. NIEBOER
Affiliation:
Institute of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
*
Address for correspondence: J. M. Cramm, Institute of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands E-mail: cramm@bmg.eur.nl
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The preference of older people when it comes to ageing in place may be modified by levels of frailty. The aim of this research is to characterise the relationship between frailty and ageing in place, and to identify differences in neighbourhood characteristics supporting ageing in place missed by frail and non-frail older people. A concurrent nested mixed-methods approach was used. For quantitative evaluation, a sample of 945 independently living older adults residing in four districts of Rotterdam were asked to complete a questionnaire in 2013 (response rate = 62%; N = 558). In addition, 32 interviews were conducted with frail and non-frail older people. Results showed that gender, age and especially frailty were related to missed neighbourhood characteristics. People displayed awareness of their increasing frailty and often acknowledged that it increased the need for neighbourhood characteristics enabling them to age in place. We can conclude that dependence on neighbourhoods varies with frailty status. This relationship is dynamic; with frailty, older people become more dependent on their neighbourhood. However, expectations regarding neighbourhood characteristics seem to dissipate with advanced age and increasing frailty.

Keywords

ageing in placefrailtyperson–environment fitneighbourhood attributessocial environmentphysical environment

Information

Type
Articles
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 38 , Issue 4 , April 2018 , pp. 700 - 720
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) 2005. Beyond 50.05: A Report to the Nation on Livable Communities: Creating Environments for Successful Aging. AARP Public Policy Institute, Washington DC.Google Scholar
Ball, M. M., Perkins, M. M., Whittington, F. J., Connell, B. R., Hollingsworth, C., King, S. V., Elrod, C. L. and Combs, B. L. 2004. Managing decline in assisted living: the key to aging in place. Journals of Gerontology, 59B, 4, S202–12.Google Scholar
Becker, G. 1994. The oldest old: autonomy in the face of frailty. Journal of Ageing Studies, 8, 1, 59–76.Google Scholar
Booth, M. L., Owen, N., Bauman, A., Clavisi, O., Leslie, E. 2000. Social-cognitive and perceived environment influences associated with physical activity in older Australians. Preventive Medicine, 31, 1, 15–22.Google Scholar
Cagney, K. A. and Cornwell, E. Y. 2010. Neighborhoods and health in later life: the intersection of biology and community. Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 30, 1, 323–48.Google Scholar
Carpenter, B. D., Edwards, D. F., Pickard, J. G., Palmer, J. L., Stark, S., Neufeld, P. S., Morrow-Howell, N., Perkinson, M.A., Morris, J. C. 2007. Anticipating relocation: concerns about moving among NORC residents. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 49, 1/2, 165–84.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2014. Healthy Places Terminology. Available online at http://www.cdc.gov/healthyplaces/terminology.htm [Accessed 24 October 2014].Google Scholar
Cramm, JM, van Dijk, H, Lötters, F, van Exel, J, Nieboer, AP. 2011. Evaluating an integrated neighbourhood approach to improve well-being of frail elderly in a Dutch community: a study protocol. BMC Res Notes. 4, 532. doi: 10.1186/1756-0500-4-532.Google Scholar
Cramm, J. M. and Nieboer, A. P. 2012. Relationships between frailty, neighborhood security, social cohesion and sense of belonging among community-dwelling older people. Geriatrics and Gerontology International, 13, 3, 759–63.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cramm, J. M., Twisk, J. and Nieboer, A. P. 2014. Self-management abilities and frailty are important for healthy aging among community-dwelling older people: a cross-sectional study. BMC Geriatrics, 14, 28.Google Scholar
Cramm, J. M., van Dijk, H. and Nieboer, A. P. 2012. The importance of perceived neighborhood social cohesion and social capital for the well-being of older adults in the community. The Gerontologist, 53, 1, 142–52.Google Scholar
Creswell, J. W. 2003. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Method Approaches. Second edition, Sage, Thousand Oaks, California.Google Scholar
Creswell, J. and Plano Clark, V. 2007. Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research. Sage, Thousand Oaks, California.Google Scholar
Daniels, R., van Rossum, E., Beurskens, A., van den Heuvel, W. and de Witte, L. 2012. The predictive validity of three self-report screening instruments for identifying frail older people in the community. BMC Public Health, 12, 69.Google Scholar
Eales, J., Keefe, J. and Keating, N. 2008. Age-friendly rural communities. In Keating, N. (ed.), Rural Ageing: A Good Place to Grow Old? Policy Press, London, 109–20.Google Scholar
Engbersen, G. and Snel, E. 2015. Als de burger het zelf moet doen, blijven arme buurten achter. NRC, 11 June. Available online at http://www.eur.nl/fileadmin/ASSETS/fsw/Hofman/Engbersen/Artikel_NRC_Engbersen_Snel_Mattheus_in_de_Buurt_nrc.pdf [Accessed July 2015].Google Scholar
Gardner, P. J. 2011. Natural neighborhood networks: important social networks in the lives of older adults aging in place. Journal of Aging Studies 25, 263–271.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gaugler, J. E., Duval, S., Anderson, K. A. and Kane, R. L. 2007. Predicting nursing home admission in the U.S.: a meta-analysis. BMC Geriatrics, 7, 13.Google Scholar
Gitlin, L. 2003. Conducting research on home environments: lessons learned and new directions. The Gerontologist, 43, 5, 628–37.Google Scholar
Gobbens, R. J. J., van Assen, M. A. L. M., Luijkx, K. G., Wijnen-Sponselee, M. T., Schols, J. M. 2010. The Tilburg Frailty Indicator: psychometric properties. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 11, 5, 344–55.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Graneheim, U. H. and Lundman, B. 2004. Qualitative content analysis in nursing research, concepts, procedures and measures to achieve trustworthiness. Nursing Education Today, 24, 2, 105–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heywood, F., Oldman, C. and Means, R. 2002. Housing and Home in Later Life. Open University Press, Buckingham, UK.Google Scholar
Hsieh, H.-F. and Shannon, S. E. 2005. Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Journal of Qualitative Health Research, 15, 9, 1277–88.Google Scholar
Keating, N., Eales, J. and Phillips, J. E. 2013. Age-friendly rural communities: conceptualizing ‘best fit’. Canadian Journal on Aging, 32, 4, 319–32.Google Scholar
Keenan, T. A. 2010. Home and Community Preferences of the 45+ Population. AARP Research and Strategic Analysis, Washington DC.Google Scholar
Lawton, M. P. 1999. Environmental taxonomy: generalizations from research with older adults. In Friedman, S. L. and Wachs, T. D. (eds), Measuring Environment Across the Life Span: Emerging Methods and Concepts. American Psychological Association, Washington DC, 91–124.Google Scholar
Lawton, M. P. and Nahemow, L. 1973. Ecology and the aging process. In Eisdorfer, C. and Lawton, M. P. (eds), The Psychology of Adult Development and Aging. American Psychological Association, Washington DC, 619–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lawton, M. P. and Simon, B. 1968. The ecology of social relationships in housing for the elderly. The Gerontologist, 8, 2, 108–15.Google Scholar
Linders, L. 2010. De betekenis van nabijheid [The Meaning of Proximity]. SDU Press, The Hague.Google Scholar
Löfqvist, C., Granbom, M., Himmelsbach, I., Iwarsson, S., Oswald, F. and Haak, M. 2013. Voices on relocation and aging in place in very old age: a complex and ambivalent matter. The Gerontologist, 53, 6, 919–27.Google Scholar
Lui, C. W., Everingham, J. A., Warburton, J., Cuthill, M. and Bartlett, H. 2009. What makes a community age-friendly: a review of international literature. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 28, 3, 116–21.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McPherson, M., Smith-Lovin, L. and Brashears, M. E. 2006. Social isolation in America: changes in core discussion networks over two decades. American Sociological Review 71, 353–375.Google Scholar
Menec, V. H., Means, R., Keating, N., Parkhurst, G. and Eales, J. 2011. Conceptualizing age-friendly communities. Canadian Journal on Aging, 30, 3, 479–93.Google Scholar
Minkler, M. 1990. Aging and disability: behind and beyond the stereotypes. Journal of Aging Studies, 4, 3, 245–60.Google Scholar
Mulasso, A., Roppolo, M., Gobbens, R. J. and Rabaglietti, E. 2015. The Italian version of the Tilburg Frailty Indicator: analysis of psychometric properties. Research on Aging. 38, 8, 842–63.Google Scholar
Oh, J-H. and Kim, S. 2009. Aging, neighbourhood attachment, and fear of crime: testing reciprocal effects. Journal of Community Psychology 37, 1, 21–40.Google Scholar
Park, N. S., Roff, L. L., Sun, F., Parker, M. W., Klemmack, D. L., Sawyer, P. and Allman, R. M. 2010. Transportation difficulty of black and white rural older adults. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 29, 1, 70–88.Google Scholar
Peace, S. M., Holland, C. and Kellaher, L. 2006. Environment and Identity in Later Life. Open University Press, New York.Google Scholar
Pynoos, J., Caraviello, R. and Cicero, C. 2009. Lifelong housing: the anchor in aging-friendly communities. Generations, 33, 2, 26–32.Google Scholar
Ross, C. E. 2000. Walking, exercise, and smoking: does neighborhood matter? Social Science and Medicine, 51, 2, 265–74.Google Scholar
Russell, C., Hill, B. and Basser, M. 1998. Older people's lives in the inner city: hazardous or rewarding? Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 22, 1, 98–106.Google Scholar
Schwirian, K. P. and Schwirian, P. M. 1993. Neighboring, residential satisfaction, and psychological well-being in urban elders. Journal of Community Psychology, 21, 4, 285–99.3.0.CO;2-Y>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shaw, B. A., Krause, N., Liang, J. and Bennett, J. 2007. Tracking changes in social relations throughout late life. Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences 62B, 90–99.Google Scholar
Sheets, D. and Liebig, P. 2005. The intersection of aging, disability, and supportive environments: issues and policy implications. Hallym International Journal of Aging, 7, 2, 143–63.Google Scholar
Statistics Netherlands 2002. Three in Ten People in Large Cities Have Foreign Background. Available online at http://www.cbs.nl/en-GB/menu/themas/bevolking/publicaties/artikelen/archief/2002/2002-1014-wm.htm [Accessed May 2015].Google Scholar
Statistics Netherlands 2014 a. Fewer Young Crime Suspects. Available online at http://www.cbs.nl/en-GB/menu/themas/veiligheid-recht/publicaties/artikelen/archief/2014/2014-4064-wm.htm [Accessed May 2015].Google Scholar
Statistics Netherlands 2014 b. Statistics Netherlands: Fewer and Fewer Dutch Affected by Crime, Unsafety Feelings and Neighbourhood Nuisance. Available online at http://www.cbs.nl/en-GB/menu/themas/veiligheid-recht/publicaties/artikelen/archief/2015/steeds-minder-nederlanders-ervaren-criminaliteit-onveiligheidsgevoelens-en-overlast-in-de-buurt.htm [Accessed May 2015].Google Scholar
Tang, F. and Pickard, J. G. 2008. Aging in place or relocation: perceived awareness of community-based long-term care and services. Journal of Housing for the Elderly, 22, 4, 404–22.Google Scholar
Thompson, E. E. and Krause, N. 1998. Living alone and neighborhood characteristics as predictors of social support in late life. Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 53B, 6, 354–64.Google Scholar
Uchmanowicz, I., Lisiak, M., Wontor, R. and Łoboz-Grudzień, K. 2015. Frailty in patients with acute coronary syndrome: comparison between tools for comprehensive geriatric assessment and the Tilburg Frailty Indicator. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 10, 521–9.Google Scholar
van Campen, C. 2011. Kwetsbare ouderen [Frail Elderly]. The Netherlands Institute for Social Research, The Hague.Google Scholar
van Dijk, H., Cramm, J. M., van Exel, J. and Nieboer, A. P. 2014. The ideal neighbourhood for ageing in place as perceived by frail and non-frail community-dwelling older people. Ageing & Society, 35, 8, 1771–95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Exel, N. Job A. and de Graaf, Gjalt. 2005. Q methodology: A sneak preview. Online document available from http://www.qmethod.org Google Scholar
Vasunilashorn, S., Steinman, B. A., Liebig, P. S. and Pynoos, J. 2012. Aging in place: evolution of a research topic whose time has come. Journal of Aging Research, 2012, 120952.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Walker, R. B. and Hiller, J. E. 2007. Places and health: A qualitative study to explore how older women living alone perceive the social and physical dimensions of their neighbourhoods. Social Science & Medicine 65, 6, 1154–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiles, J. L., Leibing, A., Guberman, N., Reeve, J. and Allen, R. E. S. 2011. The meaning of ‘aging in place’ to older people. The Gerontologist, 52, 3, 357–66.Google Scholar
World Health Organization 2007. Global Age-friendly Cities: A Guide. World Health Organization, Geneva.Google Scholar
Young, A. F., Russell, A. and Powers, J. F. 2004. The sense of belonging to a neighbourhood: can it be measured and is it related to health and well being in older women? Social Science and Medicine, 59, 12, 2627–37.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed