Coping With Change: Comparing The Retirement Housing Decisions Of Older People.

As they age, older people are likely to spend significantly more time in their homes. Therefore the immediate surroundings and proximate environments play a vital role in how the older person adapts and copes with changes that occur with advancing age. Concerns regarding access to safe environments, adequate food, shelter, transport, recreation, cultural and spiritual activities can result in the older person seeking out alternative housing choices. Choices such as retirement villages, manufactured home estates, units and serviced apartments are often considered. The decision to relocate to retirement housing can have significant implications for the health and well being of the older person and it is therefore important to understand the issues involved. This paper will compare the reasons older people choose to move to a manufactured home with the reasons given for choosing to move to a retirement village.