Moving in Old Age: Transitions in Housing and Care (MOVAGE)

The aim of the project is to study the decision-making processes on moving in old age and the experiences and patterns of housing transitions in old age. In brief, the project will examine what makes older people to consider and decide to move and what outcomes does moving have for them. The research questions will be analyzed within a conceptual framework that focuses on housing pathways, autonomy and agency. The project emphasizes the need to study older people as active agents. However, it is also important to take into account that moving decisions can be influenced by health status, social networks, physical environment and care needs, as well as by material conditions, availability of public services, regional inequality and housing policy. The project has several national and international collaborators who represent the fields of housing research, sociology, health research and social policy.

The project employs both qualitative and quantitative data. Data comprises existing interview data of family members’ of older people, written home narratives of retired people (The Finnish Literature Society, Folklore Archives), survey data of people aged 75 or older, HYPA 79+ interview questionnaire (NIHW), and national housing and moving statistics (Statistics Finland). The project will collect new interview data on moving and housing experiences of people aged 75 or older (Jyväskylä) and conduct a case study of an older people’s co-housing community (Helsinki). The practical aim of the project is to generate in-depth knowledge about the connections between housing and ageing that would make it possible to develop housing policy and social and health care services to better meet the needs of older people. The project combines approaches coming from social and environmental gerontology, social policy, housing research and disability studies.

Funding

Academy of Finland, Research Programme on the Future of Living and Housing (September 2011–August 2015)

Research group

Principal investigator

Professor Teppo Kröger, teppo.kroger[at]jyu.fi, Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyväskylä

Postdoctoral and senior researchers

Outi Jolanki, outi.jolanki[at]jyu.fi, Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyväskylä

Anu Leinonen, anu.m.leinonen[at]jyu.fi, Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyväskylä

Docent Anni Vilkko, anni.vilkko[at]thl.fi, National Institute of Health and Welfare

Doctoral students

Paula Vasara, paula.vasara[at]jyu.fi, Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyväskylä

Collaborators

National Institute of Health and Welfare, Finland (Dr. Anni Vilkko)

Aalto University, Finland (Leena Aalto SAFA, Ira Virma SAFA)

National Institute for the Study of Ageing and Later Life (NISAL), University of Linköping, Sweden (Dr. Catharina Nord, Dr. Marianne Abramsson)

Centre for International Research on Care Labour and Equalities (CIRCLE), University of Leeds, UK (Prof. Sue Yeandle)

Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Australia (Prof. Bettina Cass)

Institute of Health and Welfare Policy, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan (Prof. Yueh-Ching Chou)

Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan (Masaya Shimmei)