The experiment. An imaginative view of ageing.

In order to obtain insights into the housing preferences and behaviour of the elderly, surveys are usually conducted that examine the housing preferences of the elderly (see among others Smetcoren et al. (2014)). The desired living environment is rarely surveyed. Interviews are conducted with the elderly to find out, for example, their willingness to move. The research on which this article is based is not based on the housing wishes of the elderly, but on the housing wishes of adults who imagine that they are older (housing aspirations in old age) regarding their living environment. This approach could increase the awareness of this group about the living environment in their old age. The retirement age in Belgium has been raised to 67 years. We take over this border to define the target group of elderly people. After all, retiring is a milestone that many of us can imagine, rather than an exact age. This article links demographic changes (a growing population, an ageing population, family thinning, etc.) to quality of life, quality and well-being. What kind of residential environments and homes will Flanders need in the future? To what extent are they available? Can existing housing estates be adapted to future needs?

Publication year:2018

Accessibility:Open