Living Arrangements and Well-Being Of The Older Population: Future Research Directions

Living arrangements are influenced by a variety of factors. They affect life satisfaction, health, and the chances of institutionalization. One’s living arrangements are dynamic, they change over the life course, adapting to changing life circumstances. As population ageing increases in both developed and developing countries, issues surrounding support and care of older persons are receiving more attention. Some significant observations emerge from a cross-national comparison of living arrangements of the older population: women in developed countries are much more likely than men to live alone as they age; older men are likely to live in family settings, typically with a spouse; there has been an increase in the proportion of the older population that is living alone in developed countries; both older men and women in developing countries usually live with adult children; the use of non-family institutions for care of the frail elderly varies widely around the world but is relatively low everywhere.