Patterns of Residential Adjustment for Older Person: Who will Recover and How Do They Recover? A Study in Different Residential Environments in Hong Kong

Abstract

This study seeks to understand the residential adjustment process by examining patterns and rates of adjustment of older people. Research to date has reported that circumstantial and individual factors affect adjustment after residential relocation and various patterns of adjustment can occur. A representative sample of Hong Kong respondents aged 60 years or over was selected with the help of areal sampling and the use of a geographical information system analysis. The results showed that overall, many older persons experience a J-pattern (or linear pattern) of adjustment. Many who relocated to new towns were better adjusted from an early period. Conversely, those relocated to or within old urban areas adjusted at a slower rate and an ultimately lower level. The results provide grounds for optimism about older persons’ resilience with regard to relocation-related stress and some guidance for planners and policy makers.