This study's goal was to explore the major determinants of housing satisfaction among elderly women living alone by analyzing relationships between housing satisfaction, health, environment, psychological factors. The convenience sampling was used for...
This study's goal was to explore the major determinants of housing satisfaction among elderly women living alone by analyzing relationships between housing satisfaction, health, environment, psychological factors. The convenience sampling was used for this study, and the sample size was 300 respondents aged 65 and over living in Seoul, who frequently visited community welfare centers and senior welfare centers.
The following is the important results in this study. First of all, among the general characteristics of elderly women living alone, education, subjective health were associated with the housing satisfaction.
Moreover, among the housing environment, a housing type, a housing size, an ownership, the number of rooms, whether having an individual room or not, and whether having an emergency alarm or not were associated with the housing satisfaction. In particular, in case of living in a small individual house, having an ownership, or living in a leased apartment and elderly women living alone had higher housing satisfaction.
As for housing satisfaction, many of respondents answered ‘average.' Safety was found to be the most important factors among housing satisfaction. Thus, efforts to intensify public security and reduce risk factors in a house are necessary.
Lastly, hierarchical multiple regression was used in this study in order to find out the major determinants of housing satisfaction among elderly women living alone. As a result, subjective health, IADL, psychological status, housing type, the number of rooms and toilets, whether having an emergency alarm or not, social support, and self-esteem were found to be statistically significant.
The findings have important implications for social work practice. First of all, we need to prepare a safe housing environment by considering individuals' needs. For older adults, an adequate living environment is important to promote their psychological and social welfare. Safety should be guaranteed, and facility should be improved. In order to prevent accidents and to live in a safe environment, residence improving project is necessary in cooperation with public institutions and welfare centers.
Moreover, we need to build up the service delivery system which provides medical, psychological, social, and welfare service to vulnerable elderly persons. These days, various incidents are happened in society because of cognitive mal-function or loneliness. Therefore, we need to assess the psychological, social, and health status among older adults living alone. Based on assessments, we should establish the support system in oder to provide individualized service to vulnerable elderly persons. We also should expand long-term care insurance visiting services or ambulatory care service to older adults living alone because it means to establish the support system for unhealthy elderly persons.
Third, we should establish the social support system and foster the awareness of the community for psychological stability. In particular, as for people who lack of social support from families, welfare centers and gerontology-related associations should closely work together, promote the living environment. They also have to use and distribute various resources effectively and efficiently. It is important to provide friendly and stable environment through the community project, to build up the intimate relationship with the community. Through this process, we will build up good living environment for elderly persons and ultimately promote their well-being.
Needs about the safe and comfortable environment, which is basic needs for elderly persons, is associated with social welfare. In particular, the housing environment means a lot to women because they spend most of their time in a house. Also, the adaptation function is getting weak as people get older. In this sense, necessity about the safe living environment should be increasing. Therefore, it is important for us to develop a suitable living environment for elderly women living alone. We also should support elderly women living alone to maintain their healthy lives independently in the community.