Jolanki Outi Hannele
Gerontology Research Center, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.
Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
Front Public Health. 2021 Feb 4;8:589371. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.589371. eCollection 2020.
In different parts of the world new models of senior housing have rapidly appeared, which indicates that existing housing and care models are not fulfilling the hopes and needs of current and new generations of older people. This qualitative study focuses on one type of communal senior housing complex located in a mid-sized town in Central Finland. The complex was designed to have accessible low-maintenance apartments and common spaces, and to be near easily accessible green spaces, amenities, services, and public transport. The complex has a part-time community coordinator. The minimum age limit is set at 55 years. The data consists of 36 qualitative interviews with residents (21 women, 15 men) aged 66-93, conducted between November 2018 and February 2019. The semi-structured interviews were recorded and transcribed. The data analysis focused on how different aspects of the manmade, natural, and social environment were portrayed in residents' descriptions of day-to-day life. Theoretical framework adopted for the study draws from the ideas of environmental and geographic gerontology. The data was analyzed using positioning analysis which is one form of discourse analysis. The senior housing in this study fulfilled its promise of providing accessible a physical and social environment which encourages and enables residents to be physically active and independent, yet which also provides social activities and feeling safe. In this respect, the senior housing complex offered an environment which supports well-being and healthy aging. However, the residents' interpretations of what the senior housing complex represented varied. For some of the residents it was first and foremost a social place, which provided opportunities for social contacts and social activities. For some of the residents the most important were maintenance-free apartments and outdoor areas. The question remains as to how social practices, in the form of government policies and market systems can support the development of different kinds of senior housing which are affordable and accessible for all.
在世界不同地区，新型老年住房模式迅速涌现，这表明现有的住房和护理模式无法满足当代及新一代老年人的期望和需求。这项定性研究聚焦于芬兰中部一个中等规模城镇的一种社区老年公寓。该公寓旨在提供便于出入、维护成本低的公寓以及公共空间，并且靠近易于到达的绿地、便利设施、服务场所和公共交通站点。该公寓配有一名兼职社区协调员。最低年龄限制设定为55岁。数据包括2018年11月至2019年2月期间对66至93岁居民（21名女性，15名男性）进行的36次定性访谈。半结构化访谈进行了录音和转录。数据分析聚焦于在居民对日常生活的描述中，人造环境、自然环境和社会环境的不同方面是如何呈现的。该研究采用的理论框架借鉴了环境老年学和地理老年学的观点。使用作为话语分析一种形式的定位分析对数据进行了分析。本研究中的老年公寓兑现了其承诺，提供了一个便于出入的物质和社会环境，鼓励并使居民能够保持身体活跃和独立，同时还提供社交活动并让人感到安全。在这方面，该老年公寓提供了一个支持幸福和健康老龄化的环境。然而，居民对该老年公寓所代表意义的理解各不相同。对一些居民来说，它首先是一个社交场所，提供社交接触和社交活动的机会。对一些居民来说，最重要的是无需维护的公寓和户外区域。问题仍然是，以政府政策和市场体系形式存在的社会实践如何能够支持发展各种对所有人来说都负担得起且便于使用的老年住房。
