The well-being of aging people living in their own homes

The present research adopts a transactional world view in which the home is conceived as a holistic entity comprising inter-related qualities of people, activities, setting, and time. The study is guided by the congruence model of aging people/environment interactions as first suggested by (Kahana (1975). Aging the environment theoretical approaches. New York: Sage Publications) and extended by (Carp (1987). Housing the aged, design directives and policy considerations. New-York: Elsevier). It aims at assessing the general well-being of elderly women living in their own houses or flats, while more specifically focussing on the well-being or enjoyment they feel in everyday life situations. One hundred fourteen women residents of the Region Centre, France, ranging in age from 72 to 86 years old, answered (a) a purposely developed questionnaire to measure their well-being in various everyday life situations in their homes, (b) the ESV examining the general well-being of aging people (Blais, Vallerand, Pelletier, & Briere (1989). Canadian Journal of Behavioral Science, 21, 210), a French adaptation of the Satisfaction With Life Scale, SWLS, designed by Diener, Emmons, Larsen, and Griffin ((1985). Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 7 1), and (c) four items assessing (1) perceived social pressure to leave their homes, (2) perceived housing-related constraints, (3) satisfaction with the neighborhood and (4) satisfaction with the social environment. The results indicated differential impact of such factors as age, reasons for choosing to stay in the home, general well being, degree of perceived social pressure, and level of housing related constraints on the wellbeing felt by aging women living in their own homes, according to whether or not an activity is performed in company (alone or in the presence either their spouses or guests). (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.