Environmental Aspects of Quality of Life in Old Age: Conceptual and Empirical Issues

Abstract

This chapter is based on the insight that person–environment relationships are essential components of the quality of life (QoL) of older people (Lawton, 1991; Walker, 2005). In addition to the social environment, the maintenance and improvement of autonomy and well-being of ageing individuals have much to do with the utilisation and optimisation of environmental resources such as housing and local amenities. Nevertheless, the mainstream of QoL research concerned with older people seldom provides in-depth consideration of the role of the environment as people age and, if it does, it is the social environment that is given primacy most frequently.