Living arrangements in later life

Abstract

Across Europe, the proportions of older adults who are living alone and who are living with a spouse only have consistently risen. The trends in intergenerational co-residence and institutional living show greater variation. The steady decline in the proportion of older adults who are sharing a household with their adult children reversed under the influence of the economic crisis, particularly in countries where the financial independence of young adults was most hardly hit. Across countries, there has been a convergence in the prevalence of institutional living: decreases where public spending on residential care has been reduced, and increases where such spending has expanded. While descriptions of living arrangements provide important insights into the availability of social support, they tend to overlook the life course pathways that culminate in particular living arrangements. Taking these pathways into account contributes to a better understanding of the links between well-being and living arrangements.