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Stephen Golant: Aging in the Right Place

Aging in the Right Place

Stephen Golant, Professor in Geography. Available from Health Professions Press.

Press Release
Article in the Washington Post

Encouraging new ways to look at the question of how to grow old successfully, Aging in the Right Place highlights the profound significance of where older people live and receive care.

This book analyzes how residential environments influence the physical and psychological well-being of older adults, often determining their quality of life and successful aging. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the complex factors that influence the present and future types of living arrangements among which seniors can choose. The author particularly focuses on the oft-neglected aspect of older adults’ emotional, subjective experiences of home – how their unique memories and associations with their homes, belongings, and closeness to friends and neighbors substantially influence their residential choice, and sometimes defy logic or practicality. The book contrasts the desire for comfort in a home environment with the mastery that comes from feeling competent and in control in the face of age-related losses due to poor health, restricted mobility, and reduced social supports. The book presents a helpful model – called residential normalcy – for evaluating how well seniors’ residential options fit their needs and preferences. The book takes a hard look at the pros and cons of the popular trend of “aging in place.” It considers the efficacy of personal (e.g., family) and community-based services in supporting elders to age in place, the practicalities of new technologies, and the impact of economics and policymaking on individual choices. It contrasts these with the continuing emergence of more customized elder care settings, including assisted living, continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), and co-housing, as alternative living environments for frail elders.