Projects / Programmes
The Model of Quality Aging in Place in Slovenia
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.08.00 |
Social sciences |
Urbanism |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S230 |
Social sciences |
Social geography |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 5.07 |
Social Sciences |
Social and economic geography |
elderly people, housing, living environment, aging at home, aging in place, support services for the elderly
Researchers (6)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
Western society is characterized by increasing aging. Compared to other regions, the problem of aging is especially acute in Europe. Slovenia is no exception in this regard. Moreover, Slovenian society is aging even faster than the European average. The problem of population aging is so severe that it has become an important political topic because countries are facing increased financial needs to provide appropriate housing and services for the elderly. In Slovenia it is especially alarming that the country has so far primarily developed the institutional form of housing provision for the elderly, which is the most expensive among all forms of housing provision. On the other hand, Slovenia is characterized by a high rate of owner-occupied housing and low population mobility.
In the European Union and elsewhere there is an increasing awareness that this problem cannot be solved with models used to date; instead, it will be necessary to develop new solutions and introduce new, more effective, and more economical forms of care and services. One of the ways in which society has responded to such issues is the idea that the elderly should be able to remain in their home environments as long as possible, where they would be capable of leading their lives as independently as possible with the best possible quality of life. “Aging at home” or “aging in place” is a concept that has been the main topic of numerous research programs as well as strategic plans and action plans in many countries around the globe, including the European Union, and it has also been supported and promoted by the World Health Organization. The goal is to reduce the growing costs of housing provision for the elderly and of carrying out services and thus reduce the pressure on state funds for meeting the needs of the aging population. This idea is widely supported in society because it is in line with the wishes and needs of the elderly. Most of them would like to remain at home, in the same familiar living and social environment, and they would also like to retain their independence and self-reliance as long as possible. Living in one’s own home also has a number of positive effects, especially on the wellbeing and good psychophysical condition of the elderly, which can postpone their use of institutionalized care. The elderly, however, see institutionalization as a very traumatic experience and mostly have a negative attitude towards it.
The concept of aging in place is especially of interest to housing and spatial planning because high-quality aging in place can be ensured by a) adapting the built environment and b) providing accessible community support services that allow elderly people to live independently. Accordingly, this research project aims to explore various aspects of aging in place, especially the needs and desires of the elderly in this regard, the obstacles and weaknesses they face, and the differences between them according to their individual (regional/local, urban/rural) environments.
The main objective of this project is to determine the optimal conditions for quality aging in place and the support services required for the elderly to remain full members of society for as long as possible and thus actively involved in social life, all supported by a system that is financially sustainable for the government. This objective will be realized using various methods and systematically structured work, which will take place in six work packages. With this kind of organization and a top-notch project team it will be possible to complete the project in three years. The results of the project will comply with the goals of EU and Slovenian strategic and other documents (e.g., the Europe 2020 Strategy, and so on).
Significance for science
Significance for the development of science or the discipline
The research will follow research orientations abroad and contribute to shaping and disseminating new findings in European and global science. The findings will be especially relevant for Slovenia, where such a detailed and comprehensive study on aging in place has not been conducted yet. The results will be original and important for Slovenian society with its aging population and will have great significance for science and the discipline. The research will fill the gap in Slovenian research on aging and will contribute new insights and findings of potential use for various experts (e.g., in urban planning, social work, sociology, psychology, social gerontology, and so on).
The research will follow the latest needs and demands of science and the relevant discipline, as well as the theoretical research bases and the latest research findings on the development of applied tools; for example, 1) among the various models that have been developed as part of international studies on the accessibility and development of eldercare services, it will follow the Andersen behavioral model (see Andersen & Newman 2005); 2) with regard to international studies on the suitability of the built environment for high-quality aging in place, it will take into account the criteria of the neighborhood design characteristics checklist—an innovative tool (see Burton et al. 2011). In addition, the research will take into account the complexity of people’s decisions to live at home and the importance of place attachment, which is highlighted by various researchers (see, e.g., Lewicka 2011; Hernandez et al. 2013; Anton & Lawrence 2014) and is all the more relevant for the Slovenian population, which is characterized by low mobility.
The research will also be relevant for science and the discipline in terms of the methodology used because it will seek to increase its added value by applying a mixed-method approach (i.e., a combination of quantitative and qualitative research). According to Valerie J. Caracelli and Jennifer C. Greene (1993), and Alicia O’Cathain et al. (2007), this research method is more than just a mere sum of its individual parts and it includes the process of crystallizing findings, in which researchers search for convergence and divergence among the individual data obtained in order to develop new ideas and theories that would not be possible by using a single method.
Due to its well-planned theoretical and methodological design, the research will form the basis for all further, more detailed studies and expert discussions on the increasingly pressing issue of population aging. Its findings (as well as its concept and methodology) will be especially relevant for societies that, just like Slovenia, have primarily developed an institutional form of housing provision for the elderly and have a high percentage of owner-occupied housing (e.g., the post-communist countries of eastern Europe).
Significance for the country
Direct significance for the economy and society
As already presented under point 12 (scientific background and problem identification), the aging of the population and the associated increase in financial needs to provide suitable housing and services in western societies have led to the recognition that it is necessary to fundamentally change and reorganize the existing models and thus develop new solutions and introduce new forms of housing and services for the elderly that will be more effective and cheaper than the existing. The idea that housing and services must be deinstitutionalized as much as possible is not only a policy goal, but also has wide public support because it is in line with the wishes and needs of all of us. The idea that our project follows makes it possible for us as elderly people to remain active members of society for as long as possible, to preserve our independence, and to live a quality old age. The latest institutional care possible is therefore in the interest of society—for the elderly and also in the general interest—because it seeks to limit the demand for institutionalized care only to those people that truly need the form of housing and services that this provides, whereas others are provided with solutions for high-quality aging in place.
Because of the opportunities provided by the concept of aging in place described above, the results of the proposed project will therefore have a strong direct effect on the economy and society in general. Specifically, the results are oriented toward implementing this type of living in old age. This is especially important because the system of housing and services for the elderly includes many different stakeholders: from planners and designers of home and wider living environments, and informal and formal service providers, all the way to end users. From the perspective of the economy, the eldercare services allowing aging in place will not only be more economical, but will also create many opportunities for the development of new, innovative services and public infrastructure and the creation of new companies and new jobs, which is also in line with the goals of the Europe 2020 strategy, which followed the previous Lisbon Strategy. An essential part of the Europe 2020 strategy is the introduction of structural reforms that focus on promoting sustainability of public finances, improving growth potential, promoting entrepreneurship, and developing new products and services with high added value.
Most important scientific results
Interim report,
final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Interim report,
final report
