This thesis for the master of architecture degree focuses on the particular requirements for Senior Citizen Center in San Francisco.In the traditional society of the West, things did not change quickly, and people did not frequently move from one place to another; but this present-day society is one of dynamic suburbs; villages and towns can change their appearances in a very short time. The treatment of older people in contemporary society has caused many of them to feel alienated from the mainstream. Technical progress and the “rational” organization of present day civilization has largely eliminated the aged as persons having more experience that may beneficially be shared with the rest of us. I believe it is important to consider and respect the value of elderly people.My chosen program and site for this creative project is to design and solve the main problems of high density, the location, and the existing environments.In my own country of Thailand, there are only a few places specifically built for homeless elderly. It is very interesting therefore for me to explore and acquire knowledge for the design of Senior Citizen Center in the United States. There is a certain potential for this being useful someday in my own country. / Department of Architecture

The purpose of this paper is to present, illustrate and systematize documentation on projected and existing international examples and housing conditions for an aging population and to question the architect's role in terms of person-environment relations.As architects we often base our design on assumptions. A thorough training in the techniques of systematic observation can provide information, and data for improvements and necessities.The paper consists of two main parts. The first part focuses on research of theoretical and practical design aspects through a retrospective look at the history and the physiology of aging.Major goals are:• To increase the knowledge of person-environment interactions through a better understanding of behavioral systems of older people (environment as a stimulant).• To examine environmental attributes constituting an appropriate environment for an independent life (therapeutic aspects of design).• To identify necessities and ways of filling gaps in the relationship between theoretical design aspects and their practical application.•To refelect on historical aspects of aging by showing the ambivalence and changeability in man's systems of values.The second part of the paper considers several international innovative housing and living arrangements in an illustrative way. / Department of Architecture

The FHA program to insure reverse mortgages has brought additional attention to the use of home equity conversion to increase income to the elderly. Using simulation, this study compares the economic consequences of the FHA reverse mortgage with two alternative conversion vehicles: sale of a remainder interest and sale-leaseback. An FHA insured plan is devised for each vehicle, structured to represent fair substitutes for the FHA mortgage. In addition, the FHA mortgage is adjusted to allow for a 4 percent annual increase in distributions to the homeowner. The viability of each plan for the homeowner, the financial institution and the FHA is investigated using different assumptions for house appreciation, tax rates, and homeowners’ initial ages. For the homeowner, the return of each vehicle is compared with the choice of not employing home equity conversion. The study examines the impact of tax and accounting rules on the selection of alternatives. The study investigates the sensitivity of the FHA model to some of its assumptions. Although none of the vehicles is Pareato optimal, the study shows that neither the sale of a remainder interest nor the sale-leaseback is a viable alternative vehicle to the homeowner. While each of these vehicles is profitable to the financial institution, the profits are not high enough to transfer benefits to the homeowner and still be workable. The effects of tax rate, house appreciation rate, and homeowner's initial age are surprisingly small. As a general rule, none of these factors materially impact the decision of either the homeowner or the financial institution. Tax and accounting rules were found to have minimal impact on the selection of vehicles. The sensitivity analysis indicates that none of the variables studied alone is likely to materially affect the FHA’s profitability. Although none of the vehicles is Pareato optimal, the study shows that neither the sale of a remainder interest nor the sale-leaseback is a viable alternative vehicle to the homeowner. While each of these vehicles is profitable to the financial institution, the profits are not high enough to transfer benefits to the homeowner and still be workable. The effects of tax rate, house appreciation rate, and homeowner's initial age are surprisingly small. As a general rule, none of these factors materially impact the decision of either the homeowner or the financial institution. Tax and accounting rules were found to have minimal impact on the selection of vehicles. The sensitivity analysis indicates that none of the variables studied alone is likely to materially affect the FHA’s profitability.

While a number of housing projects for elderly people have been built, there is a serious lack of definitive information, not only of total future need, but of the variety of needs and preferences among the aged, which is essential for the formation of an enlightened and constructive housing policy. The present study is a first step in seeking to ascertain a balanced picture of needs from old people themselves. Originally, a number of area samples within the City of Vancouver were projected, but this had to be abandoned because of enumeration difficulties. The compromise was a comparative assessment of two samples (a) one drawn from the Housing Registry set up by the Community Chest and Council, (b) one area in the False Creek section of the City which has many units peopled by elderly residents, and which is categorized for city planning purposes as needing "redevelopment". By themselves, these are not sufficiently definitive: it is hoped that more can be added in the future. But this first survey opens up both method and insights. Studies completed elsewhere have been employed as background, and relevant findings compared with the present enquiry. Several questionnaires were devised. Members of each sample group were interviewed individually, for approximately one hour each: and the interviewers added their own observations on a number of relevant factors. The evidence is that the elderly people on the Community Chest "waiting list" are in poorer health, express more dissatisfaction with their present housing, have somewhat better accommodation, but pay more for it, and have moved around more than the elderly residents in the False Creek area. Women are particularly numerous on the Registry. It is also alarmingly clear that many persons in the False Creek area cling to housing which is not serving their accommodation needs. Their neighbourhood symbolizes security; to move is to face the unknown, and also threatens their concept of independence. Both groups are spending too large a proportion of their income on rent. Both groups denied or blocked out the possibility of their health deteriorating to the point where nursing or boarding home care might be required. There is evidence that housing is not understood as a welfare matter, or a proper aim of social policy: low-rental housing is viewed negatively, and public housing for general purposes confused with housing projects for old people only. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

With the increasing number of old people in the population of Canada, and of British Columbia in particular, housing needs have become a major part of the total welfare planning for old people. Adequate housing is an essential service in its own right, but it is also an important basis for many other necessary services concerned with the welfare of this age group. This thesis is an exploratory review of housing projects so far constructed for old people in the Greater Vancouver area. Four such projects are selected for this purpose, and a general structure for description and analysis devised, with special reference to (a) the nature of the accommodation, (b) administration, and (c) opinions and attitudes of the residents. The information in this survey is attained through interviews with the people directly concerned with the administration and management of the housing projects, with people who live in the projects, and with social workers who have close contact with and knowledge of the old people. A series of visits were made to all types of accommodation in the four projects. Because housing projects so far are mostly private and volunteer efforts, there is a great deal of variation in nature and concept, administration, eligibility, services provided, etc. Some of this experimentation is desirable; in some regards, coordination and pooling of experience is greatly needed. The study illustrated many of the good features of housing projects, and also indicates some of the less favorable aspects. It shows also the need for a comprehensive approach to housing for old people, in which the total community participates, and in which all community resources, including neighbourhood and metropolitan planning, are fully utilized. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

"Population aging" is a worldwide occurrence facing both developed and developing countries alike. In Canada, significant public policy issues arise with the increasing number and proportion of older persons. One of the most important of these is meeting the housing needs of the more than one million older persons facing housing decisions in the next three decades. The greatest challenge to all those involved in producing, financing or managing housing for older persons is to assist the majority of older persons in their desire to remain in the community as they age. The underlying premise of this explorative study is that older persons should and must be involved at all levels of planning current and future seniors' or retirement housing. The specific purpose of the thesis is to explore "collaborative planning" as a method of involving older persons in housing issues. The rationale for the participation of older persons is developed from the review of three areas of relevant literature. In contrast to the literature on "environment and aging" and gerontology, this study seeks an understanding of the broader social, political-economic forces as prerequisite to meaningful analysis of the lower levels of the housing context. This wider perspective also forms the basis for the rationale of including older persons in the planning process. A discussion of "participation" as a process and a movement provides an introduction to two case studies as examples of "collaborative planning" involving older persons and professionals in discussing seniors' or retirement housing. The thesis research question is: What do older persons view as their housing needs and preferences, and how successful is present seniors' or retirement housing in meeting these? The structure, format and objectives of the two case studies were framed within the thesis principles and assumptions in addition to this question. The case studies were assessed for their usefulness for defining housing needs and preferences of older persons, and for examining how closely these stated needs and preferences fit existing housing alternatives. The evaluation of the case studies revealed that collaborative planning took place, and that the stated objectives of each event and those of the sponsoring organization were met. The thesis assumptions and premises were thereby substantiated. The wide impact and numerous outcomes of the case studies within the seniors' communities were also noted. However, the research question was largely unanswered in terms of "product", and the analysis includes some possible explanations. Analysis of the case studies within the broader context indicated that older persons and professionals alike are in a "reactive" mode of thinking rather than creative or "proactive" in what they visualize as seniors' housing options. Entrenched thinking and attitudes are difficult to change, and as this study concludes, education of all involved is necessary. The greater necessity is, however, the need to personalize the issue of inadequate and unsuitable seniors' or retirement housing, so that change is seen as imperative to one's own future life as an older person. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

This research project was focused on elderly people and their living arrangements in an attempt to discover whether elderly people would prefer to live alone or with other elderly persons. If it was found that the elderly people interviewed would like roommates, then this would provide information which would be helpful in assessing the need for and determining the feasibility of a roommate service for elderly people. Willingness to roommate served as the dependent variable. This study tested the relationship between each of two psychological variables, loneliness and independence, and the dependent variable. Loneliness was defined as an elderly person's feeling of being alone, and independence as an elderly person's ability to do things unaided. In addition, twelve demographic variables were used to describe the sample: sex, age, marital status, separation time, health, religion, length of time living in Portland, length of time living alone, income, education, occupation, and number of activities. The data obtained from these variables enabled the researchers to answer the following questions: What are the characteristics of the sample? What are the relationships of loneliness and independence to willingness to roommate? What are the correlations between each of the demographic and psychological variables and the dependent variable? The population consisted of all those elderly people 62 years of age and over who lived alone in Portland Public Housing as of May 15, 1970. The sample was composed of 220 people from this population who were selected by choosing every sixth name from a list of 1,699 names. Letters were sent in two different mailings, and of the sixty-four who responded, fifty-six were interviewed. The student researchers collected the data by using the structured interview. The data was coded, programmed and processed through an IBM 1130 computer. The data analysis indicates that independence is correlated with willingness to a higher degree than any other single variable. Loneliness is negatively correlated with willingness, but the correlation is so small it is not meaningful. An analysis of the data reveals the sample to be mostly White, Christian, female, healthy and highly in­ dependent. As a group they are not lonely and not willing to roommate: these people prefer privacy and living alone. They are not really willing to share their bathrooms, furniture or rent; however, they may be willing to help another homeless elderly person by allowing that person to stay temporarily. It was concluded that the people in the sample do not feel that they need roommates; therefore, a roommate service probably is not feasible for this group of people. Since the population studied in this project was characterized by a high level of independence, future research will be necessary to determine if a less independent population would be more willing to roommate.

The major objectives of this study were to identify critical safety hazards, safety precautions practiced by older adults, and the factors that would assist older adults in preventing accidents in their residential environment and to examine the relationship between these safety practices and selected demographic characteristics of older adults. A personal interview schedule was developed and administered to a random sample of 50 members of the Virginia Cooperative Extension Homemaker's Council, over age 70, in Giles, Montgomery, and Pulaski Counties and the city of Radford. Means, frequencies, and correlations were used to examine the data. The findings revealed that older adults evaluate their home as moderately or extremely safe and they perceive that it is not likely to somewhat likely that hazards exist in their home that could cause an accident. Older adults currently practice an average of 15 out of a possible 20 safety precautions in their home. They are most likely to seek assistance in preventing accidents in their home from family members in the form of routine cleaning. If given the money and assistance to make improvements in the safety of their home, older adults would be interested in installing a secure grab bar in the bathtub or shower, painting or taping the edge of steps in order to see them better, attaching handrails on the stairway, and installing a telephone close to the bed. No significant relationship was found between the older adult's safety hazard perception score, safety precaution score, or factors that would assist older adults in preventing accidents in their residential environment and their health status, accident history, income, or mastery level. / Master of Science

The purpose of this thesis was to help the East Baltimore Community Corporation define the nature and scope of a mixed care facility for the elderly which it would like to construct on the site of a former brewery in Baltimore, Maryland. Different options for the levels of care and housing types are stated and five separate case studies of existing environments for the elderly are included. Issues relating to the operation, financial feasibility, and architectural character of each particular setting are identified. Information gained from these studies and other resource persons in Baltimore formed a basis from which specific recommendations about the size, type of care and scope of the facility are made. Different attitudes about the delivery of care to older persons are also examined and provide a conceptual framework for the recommendations. / Master of Architecture

Recent experiences in environmental design have suggested the importance of understanding the wants and needs of users of various settings. Designers of large-scale environments find it necessary to turn to others professionals for guidance in designing more responsive settings for daily living. Existing misfits between behavioral needs of the elderly and the community spaces in planned residential environments are explored. It was found that the designer often worked with inadequate and sometimes misleading information while confronted with tasks which demanded deeper understanding of human behavior and desires. The central issue of this thesis is focused on the questions: how can we bridge the communication gap between researchers and designers? And, how can the information, which were presented by behavioral researchers, be best translated into formats useful to designers? As an illustration, the thesis concludes with the descriptions of the guidelines for twenty-two activity areas deemed essential in the design of community spaces in elderly housing. In these guidelines, spatial relationships, environmental qualities, and furnishings and equipment for each are suggested. / M. Arch.