The Choice of Housing among Seniors - Alternatives to Ageing in Place

• In the last decade a growing interest in senior housing has been seen in Sweden. This type of housing in between ageing in place and nursing homes has gained a vivid political interest, evident in the Swedish Government Official Report from December 2007 on housing for seniors. The number of this type of dwellings is increasing as is the demand. Here the aim was to study the variety of housing aimed at seniors as well as the effect recent demographic changes may have had on the supply. The political agenda for housing for seniors has been studied as well as the trends and plans in some municipalities in a southern Swedish county. The amount of high quality senior housing often in attractive locations has increased and is being marketed to middle income active (young) seniors. At the other end of the scale is a group of frail seniors ageing in place but with social needs that cannot be accounted for in their current homes. For them new housing types develop in collaboration with housing companies and social welfare offices in municipalities. In addition there is a group of seniors, active but with low incomes in need of ordinary housing but with the social qualities of senior housing. It is evident that a growing number of municipalities are responding to the changing demography, i.e., an ageing population, by building or planning for new types of senior housing. Having begun in the larger cities often in tenant cooperatives, municipal housing companies are entering this market to a larger extent and senior housing can now be found in medium sized cities as well as in smaller municipalities. A forthcoming issue is what will happen in senior housing as people age and how this will effect the social life on which many are built.

Nyckelord

Housing choice

senior housing

Sweden

SOCIAL SCIENCES

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP

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