Department of Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94118, USA.
J Am Geriatr Soc. 2012 May;60(5):951-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2012.03949.x. Epub 2012 May 9.
As people age, they prefer to "age in place." The concept of aging in place refers to the ability to live in one's own home, wherever that might be, for as long as one can feel confident and comfortable. Where people live and whether these environments can support them are critical questions for public health and public policy, especially since the baby boomers began to turn 65 on January 1, 2011. Equally important for public policy, those aged 85 and older are the fastest growing population group in the United States. The Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Healthy Aging Program, has supported a project to determine how design features of the built environment can support the mobility of older adults. Mobility refers to physical activity, usually walking, but also encompasses the ability to stay connected to nearby community resources and services. The project's purpose is to investigate features that support mobility in built environments. This policy brief introduces the realist synthesis method used in the project and selected national initiatives and activities to place this work in a broader context. Given the importance of mobility concerns to older adults, it must be determined without delay which design features support mobility and how local areas can better prepare to support the health of their aging populations.
随着人们年龄的增长，他们更喜欢“原地养老”。原地养老的概念是指人们能够在自己的家中，无论那个家在哪里，只要他们感到自信和舒适，就尽可能长久地生活下去。人们的居住地点以及这些环境是否能够支持他们，这是公共卫生和公共政策的关键问题，尤其是自 2011 年 1 月 1 日第一代婴儿潮出生者年满 65 岁以来。同样对公共政策至关重要的是，85 岁及以上的人群是美国增长最快的人口群体。疾病控制与预防中心健康老龄化项目下的卫生与老龄化政策研究员计划，已经支持了一个旨在确定建筑环境的设计特点如何能够支持老年人的流动性的项目。流动性是指身体活动，通常是步行，但也包括与附近社区资源和服务保持联系的能力。该项目的目的是研究支持建筑环境中流动性的特征。本政策简报介绍了该项目中使用的现实主义综合方法以及选定的国家倡议和活动，以便将这项工作置于更广泛的背景下。鉴于流动性问题对老年人的重要性，必须毫不拖延地确定哪些设计特征支持流动性，以及当地如何更好地准备支持其老龄化人口的健康。
