Self-Reported Wellbeing among the Elderly in the First Year after Relocation to Senior Housing

Abstract

Growing numbers of older adults relocate to senior housing facilities when their physical or mental performance declines. The relocation is known to affect their well-being and provide both challenges and opportunities in new environment. The aim of this study was to explore self-reported well-being among older adults during the first year in senior housing facility. It was a longitudinal study, with repeated, structured interviews of 71 older adults, living in northern Finland. They were interviewed between June 2014 and December 2015. The interviews were conducted three and 12 months after relocation to senior housing facility. The participants used a five-point Likert scale to evaluate their subjective well-being. A nonparametric homogeneity test was performed to assess the statistical significance of change in well-being across the two measurement points. The participants reported statistically significant increases in security and decreases in independence, i.e., ability to cope with everyday activities, during the study period. There was a slight decrease in loneliness, but otherwise participants’ well-being decreased during the first year at a senior housing facility. The potential of subjective well-being in the relocation process is neither fully understood nor taken into account by senior housing organizations. There may be significant social and economic benefits for both carefully planning relocation and supporting the well-being of elderly people at senior housing facilities.