Over 43.5 million Americans provide informal care to a fast-growing elderly population in the United States. Informal care allows care-recipients to remain functional members of society. However, research suggests that the demands of informal care can negatively impact the health of caregivers. For example, caregiver burden increases the risk for poor health in caregivers compared to non-caregivers. Caregiving research is on the rise, but the dynamics of informal care in active retirement communities remains widely unexplored. To provide adequate services to lessen caregiver burden and improve the Quality of Life (QoL) of informal caregivers, the various settings in which informal care is delivered must be evaluated. Aiming to understand the needs of informal caregivers and the protective factors against caregiver burden in active retirement communities, data from the USF Health and The Villages study, conducted from October 2011 and March 2013, were analyzed. Data from twenty-nine focus groups (N=144) was used to explore the challenges faced by seniors in a caregiver role and the availability of resources that decrease caregiver burden. The primary focus was informal care and the challenges associated with the caregiver role; findings revealed a great need for caregiver relief and limited information on existing resources is available to informal caregivers. Consistent with existing literature on caregiver burden, having no personal time, financial burden, physical demands, and poor health were commonly identified as the biggest caregiving challenges. However, findings strongly suggest that the unique structure of The Villages community encourages high social support that may be the strongest protective factor against caregiver burden in the community.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: During the 1990s in South Africa an increasing need for care and housing for the aged became evident. On the one hand greater longevity created a rapid increase in the number of aged people of all population groups, and on the other, changes in government policy foreshadowed a drastic scaling down of the role of the state with regard to the supply of housing for the aged. In the midst of these changes, one type of housing for the aged has remained outside the pale of the altering policy scenario: retirement villages. This then is the main focus of the study. Taking into account the fact that retirement villages presently focus mainly on a single elderly group, namely wealthy white persons, and set against the backdrop of the changing situation regarding policy towards housing for the aged, the question arises whether in future retirement villages will be capable of providing housing for a greater percentage of elderly people than at present. The present demand and supply of retirement villages is critically evaluated within the context of housing for the aged in general in order to contribute to a future vision for housing for the aged within the new South Africa. In view of this - and taking into account cultural, financial and age differences - the housing and care needs, as well as the preferences and perceptions of 228 elderly persons, are analysed and compared in this respect with the views of relevant interested parties, namely gerontologists, sociologists, non-governmental organizations and retirement village developers. In focusing on 34 retirement villages in the greater Cape Town area, this study fills the gap that exists within urban geography regarding housing for the aged. An analysis is done of the location of retirement villages in this area, as well as of the factors that influence the selection of locations for such housing schemes. Not only are issues of supply and demand addressed, but also the problems with which the retirement village industry has to deal, such as service delivery, grading (classification status according to specific standards) and the spatial placing of villages. In this wayan attempt is made to find a solution to related problems. The most important conclusion that arose from this research can be summarized as being that elderly people show a lack of knowledge regarding the services offered by these facilities. For this reason retirement villages have been classified under four headings, according to the care services they offer, namely the independent lifestyle village, the supportive care village, the continuous care village and the care for life village. Retirement villages can play an ever-increasing role in providing housing and care for the aged. This will only happen if the various preferences, opinions and perceptions of the different groups of elderly persons are seriously considered and compared to the views of the experts in the field. The basic preferences of the aged can be summarised as: renting residential units instead of buying them; no luxuries such as therapy services; safety considerations incorporated in the design of the interior of the units; being able to use their own furniture in the units; primary health care offered; availability of recreational facilities; good corporate management and accessibility to essential services (in terms of the location of the village). In conclusion, experts of retirement village housing should avoid problems that stem from injudiciously developing complexes that through their inaccessiblity isolate residents from the rest of the community. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In Suid-Afrika is die negentigerjare van die vorige eeu gekenmerk deur 'n toenemende behoefte aan die versorging van en behuising vir bejaardes. Enersyds het langer lewensverwagting 'n snelle toename in die getal bejaardes onder alle bevolkingsgroepe meegebring en andersyds het veranderings in owerheidsbeleid 'n drastiese afskaling in die rol van die staat met betrekking tot behuisingsvoorsiening aan bejaardes in die vooruitsig gestel. Te midde van die verandering ten opsigte van behuisingsvoorsiening vir bejaardes, is daar egter een tipe behuising vir bejaardes wat buite die veranderde beleidstoneel van die staat staan, naamlik aftree-oorde - wat dan die hooffokus van hierdie ondersoek is. In die lig van die veranderende beleidsomgewing rakende die voorsiening van behuising aan bejaardes ontstaan die vraag of aftree-oorde in die toekoms aan 'n groter persentasie bejaardes as tans behuising kan voorsien, gegee die feit dat aftree-oorde tans veralop 'n enkele groep bejaardes, naamlik welgestelde wit bejaardes, fokus. Die huidige vraag na en aanbod van aftree-oorde word in die lig hiervan krities evalueer teen die agtergrond van behuising vir bejaardes in die algemeen ten einde te help bou aan 'n toekomsvisie vir die behuising vir bejaardes in die nuwe Suid-Afrika. Met die oog hierop word die behuisingsen versorgingsbehoeftes, -voorkeure en -persepsies van 228 bejaardes ontleed (gegee hul kulturele, finansiële en ouderdomsverskille) en dan vergelyk met die menings van tersake rolspelers aan die aanbodkant, naamlik gerontoloë, sosioloë, nieregeringsinstansies en die ontwikkelaars van aftree-oorde. Hierdie studie vul die leemte wat binne stedelike geografie bestaan ten opsigte van bejaardes, deur te fokus op 34 aftree-oorde in Kaapstad en sy soomdistrikte met 'n ontleding van die ligging van oorde in hierdie gebied, asook van faktore wat die plasingskeuse van oorde beïnvloed. In die navorsing word nie net die vraag en aanbod van aftree-oorde aangespreek nie, maar ook die probleme waarmee die aftree-oord industrie te doen het, soos dienslewering, gradering (klassifikasie-status volgens bepaalde maatstawwe) en die ruimtelike plasing van oorde om 'n bydrae tot die oplossing van sodanige probleme te kan lewer. Die belangrikste gevolgtrekkings van hierdie studie kan soos volg opgesom word: Daar is 'n gebrek aan kennis by bejaardes ten opsigte van die dienste wat verskillende aftree- oorde aan die bejaarde bied. Vir hierdie rede is aftree-oorde op grond van hulle versorgingsdienste in vier groepe geklassifiseer, naamlik die onafhanklike lewenstyloord, die ondersteuningsdiensoord, die volgehoue versorgingsoord en die lewenslange versorgingsoord. Aftree-oorde kan 'n al groter rol in die voorsiening van behuising aan en versorging van bejaardes speel mits aandag gegee word aan die verskillende voorkeure, menings en persepsies van die verskillende bejaarde groepe en hoe dit met dié van die deskundiges verskil. Die basiese voorkeure van bejaardes kan opgesom word as: die huur van wooneenhede in plaas van om te koop; geen luukshede soos terapiedienste nie; die veiligheidsbewuste ontwerp van die interieur; die gebruik van eie meubels in die wooneenhede; die voorsiening van primêre gesondheidsorg; die beskikbaarheid van rekreasiefasiliteite; die goeie bestuur van die oord en die geskikte ligging van die oord ten opsigte van die belangrikste dienste. Laastens moet deskundiges van aftree-oord behuising waak teen probleme wat sentreer rondom die plasing van 'n oord asook die isolasie van die aftreeoord inwoners van die gemeenskap.

As few studies focus explicitly on social support for residents by residents in retirement communities which have staff, this thesis is designed to explore the nature of informal social support among residents at planned, non-subsidized retirement care facilities: the types, the amount, the impact, the limitation and the appropriateness of such support. Our focus is to explore whether different organization of a retirement community affects social support among residents, so we compare two retirement care facilities. One provides single-level care for its residents and the other provides multiple-level care. We chose our two sites from retirement care facilities in the City of Portland, Oregon. We generated our data by interviewing residents who live independently in the two retirement communities.

The following exploration represents a search for clarity and meaning in the formative work of a young architectural designer. Solving the design problem to create a viable community of elders integrated into the chosen site was merely the ostensible goal. The deeper task was to become more literate with the materials and tools of the architect's trade and develop a confidence with the language and grammar of architecture. I wanted to develop an understanding of not just a single building type or a particular site condition, but to grow in more fundamental terms toward learning a way of building. This desire may be inherent in every good design, but I wanted to bring the idea of it to the surface and focus on the principles behind the architectural decisions. I believe the confidence and vitality which the architect combines with the philosophical, technical and pragmatic constraints of a project to make great architecture are products of a thorough understanding of one's personal beliefs. My own attempt to organize thoughts and attitudes into a body of reference toward an understanding of that belief structure follows on the remaining pages. In the process as well as in the final result I have moved closer to a literacy in architecture, if only by gaining insight into the motivations which have guided my hand. / Master of Architecture

What are the landscape style preferences of older people? What are the preferred outdoor activities of older people? In this study I want to raise the issue of how the external environment is aesthetically perceived, and how we as designers might facilitate the user’s needs in design. In order to incorporate user needs into a design program we must first develop methods to identify user needs. There is not a body of literature that identifies the landscape design preferences of older people. So it has been the major aim of this study to develop a process by which these preferences can be identified and utilized in a landscape plan. It has also been a primary goal of this study to work with a particular group of older people; to become familiar with them; to build a rapport; to observe behavioral patterns; and to allow the residents to contribute their ideas to the development of a landscape plan. The research methods employed were geared to encourage resident participation in the design process and to determine aesthetic preferences. The Wheatland Hills retirement center was selected for the study because it was a newly constructed facility with supportive residents and management. The residents were primarily educated, ambulatory, white, middle class females from rural and urban backgrounds living in an age-segregated congregate care facility. The first method of inquiry utilized environmental modelling techniques adapted for the sample. Since the residents were familiar with their site, a landscape design workshop was developed that would allow for a maximum amount of idea generating. On pre-constructed cardboard models, the residents were asked to create their ideal landscape. They worked in four teams ranging in size from 3-6people. Sixteen of the forty residents participated in the landscape design workshop. The results from the landscape design workshop were indicated on the four models. Therefore a system of landscape styles and design categories (LSDC) was developed for the study. From each model, the LSDC system was used to interpret significant design patterns. The checklist (Figure 63) indicated major programming preferences and ideas. Strong circulation and activity areas were denoted in one model. Strong planting design schemes were denoted in a second model. The third model addressed programming on all areas of the site, and the fourth model showed a strong native planting scheme. The second method was employed to determine landscape style preferences — the aesthetic concerns. A visual preference testing technique was adapted for the sample using the LSDC system. Forty-two images representing six landscape styles and seven design categories were shown in slide form first to the twenty participating residents. The residents then manually selected their favorite use of a landscape style from each design category, isolating the favorite print. The visual preference survey indicated that the most popular landscape style was the French-Italian formal landscape (Figure 74). Within the design categories of "water", "private space", "public space" and "plants for color", the favorite selection was the formal landscape. In two design categories; "plants in the built environment" and "pathways", the residents preferred the English cottage Landscape. And in the design category of "overall design", they preferred the conventional institutional landscape. The information generated from these two research methods points to a more complete visual and functional picture of what the residents prefer in their landscape. As designers, we must not only interpret user needs on a programming level, but we must also consider the landscape aesthetic, the preferred style. The resulting conceptual landscape plan (Figure 76) has incorporated the preferred elements from both methods. It was found that the residents preferred to view a series of controlled outdoor planting habitats sandwiched between programmed activity rooms. This illustrates their need to extend the building into the landscape — to create a series of rooms that are easily accessible, yet have their purpose. These rooms are to hold a badminton court, or a chain swing. They want wide paths to accommodate two people or a wheelchair. They want to see native plant materials such as the dogwood and rhododendron. They want to see pretty pastel colors from their window, rather than bright red, yellow or blue. They want scented gardens, spring gardens, rock gardens and aquatic gardens, and most importantly they want the programmed space to get them there safely. Then they want to be able to sit and admire the pretty landscape and their friends using the next door space. This study has employed two innovative research methods for the purpose of creating a more whole design. The conceptual landscape plan that has evolved from this study is dynamic and designed for a specific user group. There is no doubt that the methods used could be applied to other user groups, and there is no doubt that the results might change significantly based on the differences of the group. Yet the process of this inquiry has yielded information that can be applied to design. / Master of Landscape Architecture

by Chan Yuen Yee, Irene, Chung Wing Sze. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 64-65). / Questionnaire also in Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT --- p.v / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.vi / LIST OF TABLES --- p.ix / Chapter / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Background --- p.1 / Elderly People and the Living Environment --- p.2 / The Role of the Living Environment to Elderly People --- p.2 / The Housing and Environment Needs of Elderly People --- p.3 / Physical Aspects --- p.4 / Social Aspects --- p.4 / Objectives --- p.5 / Chapter II. --- SCOPE OF STUDY --- p.6 / Marco Environment --- p.6 / The Changing Profile and Characteristics of Elderly People in Hong Kong --- p.6 / Ageing population --- p.6 / Education Level --- p.8 / Earlier Retirement and Retirement Population --- p.8 / Economics --- p.9 / Policy and Regulations --- p.10 / Age of Retirement and Pension Scheme --- p.10 / Tax Allowance for Maintaining Dependents --- p.11 / Old Age Allowances and Senior Citizen Cards --- p.11 / Public Medical Service --- p.11 / Financial Assistance to the Aged --- p.12 / Increasing Needs of Personal Financial Planning --- p.12 / Staying Period for Hong Kong Citizens in China --- p.13 / Social Cultures --- p.13 / Self-financing and Living Independently at Old Ages --- p.13 / More Life & Health Conscious --- p.13 / Better Perception on the Living Quality in China --- p.14 / Trend of Cross-boundary Traveling Between Hong Kong and China --- p.14 / Micro Environment --- p.15 / Demand for Residential Service for Hong Kong Elderly in China --- p.15 / Increasing Market Size --- p.15 / Market Potentials --- p.15 / Needs of Community Development for the Elderly --- p.16 / Demand on Residential Service in China --- p.17 / Limitations of living in China --- p.17 / Supply of Elderly Accommodation Service in Hong Kong --- p.17 / Private Housing --- p.17 / Public Housing --- p.18 / Residential Care House --- p.18 / Supply of Elderly Accommodation Service in China --- p.19 / Residential Care Homes --- p.19 / Private Housing --- p.19 / Product Features --- p.20 / Price --- p.21 / Location --- p.21 / Promotion --- p.21 / Chapter III. --- METHODOLOGY --- p.23 / Primary Data --- p.23 / Survey Objectives --- p.23 / Sampling Population --- p.24 / Sampling Method --- p.24 / Process of Survey --- p.24 / Limitations --- p.25 / Data Analysis --- p.25 / Secondary Data --- p.25 / Chapter IV --- SURVEY RESULTS AND DISCUSSION --- p.26 / Profile of the Respondents --- p.26 / Lifestyle and Consumption Behavior after Retirement --- p.27 / Living Arrangement after Retirement --- p.27 / Daily Activities after Retirement --- p.28 / All Respondents --- p.28 / Difference between Retired and Non-Retired People --- p.28 / Demographic Factors --- p.29 / Average Monthly Expenditure after Retirement --- p.30 / Proportion of Different Expenses on Monthly Spending after Retirement --- p.31 / All Respondents --- p.31 / Difference between Retired and Non-Retired People --- p.31 / Correlation between Monthly Expenditure and Percentages of Different Expenses --- p.32 / Correlation between Different Expenses and Likelihood of Retirement in China --- p.32 / Demographic Factors --- p.32 / Retirement Plan in China --- p.33 / Reasons for Retirement in China --- p.35 / Reasons for not to retire in China --- p.36 / Buying Property in China --- p.38 / Ideal Dwelling for Retirement in China --- p.39 / Chapter V --- RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.43 / Market Size --- p.43 / Target Customers --- p.44 / Expected Expenditure --- p.44 / Product --- p.45 / Interior Design --- p.46 / Supplementary Property Management Service --- p.46 / Supplementary Community Facilities --- p.47 / Place --- p.48 / Price --- p.49 / Promotion --- p.49 / Chapter VI --- CONCLUSION --- p.51 / APPENDIX --- p.53 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.64

Architecture cannot target only a particular age group or type of person worthy of its attention, but rather must respond to the entire human condition. I chose to design a project that would allow me to consider architecturally the span between birth and death, with both segregated and interactive spaces for the various age groups. The site echoes the human condition in complexity—a steep, wooded slope partially encircling a flat open area, separated by a large, flat stream, further disrupted by a tiny, steeply falling stream. Located on the outskirts of Newport Virginia, the project is a small, self-contained community intended to relate to the existing town in spirit as Le Corbusier’s La Tourette relates to the nearby town of Eveaux—felt and glimpsed but not seen. The building is organized around a series of major concrete walls, paired for circulation and containing volumes between the pairs, spaced in multiples of two and three. These walls are oriented to the geologic strike of the rock beds, perhaps the most permanent of all site qualities. Bridges link portions of the project on both sides of the stream, and the center is carved out to form an open plaza; a microcosm of the valley and surrounding ridges which make up the landscape. / Master of Architecture

<div>Older adults aged 60+ represent the fastest growing segment of the US population, yet they are rarely seen as users of technology. Members of this age cohort often struggle with the material and conceptual requirements of computing—such as clicking small targets or remembering usernames and passwords for account logins—leading them to adopt technologies like smartphones and social media at much lower rates than their younger counterparts. Digital devices and interfaces are not typically designed with older adult users in mind, even though all users are always aging, and the “silver economy” represents a powerful, and often untapped, market for technological innovations. The little existing research in this area often conflates age with disability, framing elders according to a deficit model. While it is certainly important to consider the impacts that aging bodies have on technology use, they are not the sole factor shaping usage for older age cohorts. Moreover, if we reduce elder users to their “impairments,” we risk stereotyping them in ways that curtail design possibilities, as well as these users’ possibilities for full participation in digital life. For this reason, studies of technology users aged 60+ and their communities are necessary to shed light on the multifaceted needs of older age cohorts, and the interventions into technology design, documentation, and education that can help them reach their digital goals. </div><div><br></div><div>To build an understanding of the unique technology use of a group of the oldest Americans (aged 75+), as well as to assess their needs and desires for digital engagement, I conducted interviews and observations with computer users in a senior living community. Data collection revealed a great diversity of computing purposes and activities, ranging from social functions such as email and messaging, to managing finance and medicine, to art and design applications, and beyond. Moreover, participants’ accounts of how and where they developed their computing skills shed light on their motivations for engaging with technology, as well as their fears of technology’s intrusiveness. Analysis of participants’ performance on a series of digital tasks yielded insights into physical and cognitive factors, as well as a clear divide in forms of knowledge and mental models that older adults draw upon when attempting to engage with technology. To conclude, I provide recommendations for technology design and education, as well as future research to account for age as a factor mediating user experience.</div>