Living Arrangements for the Elderly, Essays (university) of Psychology

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Living Arrangements for the Elderly

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Living Arrangements for the Elderly

Since the 1900s and through the development of gerontology, living arrangements have taken diverse scopes. A historical perspective provides that a majority of older adults lived with their adult children. Following World War II, a significant percentage of adults aged 65 and above lived alone while in the modern-day, 72% of males aged 65 years and above live alone with spouses and 20% live with nonrelatives. Conversely, 43% of women aged above 65 years live alone or with nonrelatives and 40% live with spouses. Only 8% and 17% of these men and women live with other relatives, respectively (Encyclopedia of Aging, 2020). As such, I take deep concern about the efficiency of living arrangements given the expectation and mandate to ensure my grandparents get comfortable old age maintenance and also respond appropriately to the ever-increasing old-age population. Living arrangements take the form of independent, semi-independent, and dependent types. I am quite interested in the independent living arrangements that are common for adults with no or fewer limitations concerning self-care and the execution of daily activities. Johnson Jr & Appold (2017) observe that most older adults in the United States prefer living independently at home as opposed to institutional facilities. It is common for such older persons to have spouses or children who live nearby, and may possess or rent the living space. The United States provides government-subsidized housing where low-income earners can finance their houses at a lower cost. Independent living arrangements provide the resident with adequate privacy and can make desired decisions on their own. This is the opposite of situations within dependent arrangements. Dwellers can also lead more healthy lifestyles as there are few adults within the living space. A disadvantage of independent living arrangements is that such facilities may often lack assisted living or healthcare services. Socialization and a sense of community lack within these premises which is ideally detrimental to the proactivity of the dwellers. I prefer the second type of living arrangement for my grandparents and myself. Semi-independent living arrangements avail more supportive activities for the elderly by virtues that the persons

References Encyclopedia of Aging. (2020). "Living Arrangements." Encyclopedia of Aging. https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/living- arrangements Johnson Jr, J. H., & Appold, S. J. (2017). US older adults: Demographics, living arrangements, and barriers to aging in place. Kenan Institute.