Ageing in Place in the European Union

Ageing in Place in the EU context tends to focus on the provision of support and services to older persons to enable them to remain in their own homes for as long as they can, and in environments that are enabling. Despite various strong statements by planners and policymakers, by governments and NGOs, there remain questions about what is actually encompassed in the debate about and actions to support Ageing in Place, given the considerable differences in national, local and individual situations. Although this article supports as far as possible the notion of Ageing in Place, it also takes as its brief the need to examine carefully some of the barriers or difficulties in developing and prioritizing public policy to promote Ageing in Place and age-friendly environments in the European Union.