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Housing

Independent Housing, Supportive Housing Options, Aging In PlaceConclusion

Housing plays a vital role in the lives of older adults due to the amount of time they spend at home and their desire to age in place. The features of housing are strong determinants of safety and ability to get out into the community. In addition, the cost of housing is a major expenditure for most older adults. The aging of the population necessitates a broad array of housing alternatives that provide different levels of onsite services, supervision, sociability, privacy, and amenities. These housing options range from single-family homes and apartments to nursing homes. The following sections describe the wide array of housing options available.

It is increasingly becoming recognized that housing plays an important role in the lives of the elderly. While new strategies and approaches have been developed to increase housing options, a range of affordable supportive housing choices for older persons remains an elusive goal. Progress in this area necessitates the recognition that housing should be an integral part of long-term care policy, and that more can be done to encourage aging in place.

JON PYNOOS CHRISTY MATSUOKA

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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TABBARAH, M.; SILVERSTEIN, M.; and SEEMAN, T. "A Health and Demographic Profile of Noninstitutionalized Older Americans Residing in Environments with Home Modifications." Journal of Aging and Health 12, no. 2 (2000): 204–228.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Policy Development and Research. The Challenge of Housing Security: Report to Congress on the Housing Conditions and Needs of Older Americans. Washington, D.C.: HUD, 1999.

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Medicine EncyclopediaAging Healthy - Part 2