Working Paper Summary 02-01
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Pathways Working Paper 02-01 Chi, P. & Laquatra, J. (2002, February). Community Attributes for Developing Group Housing for the Elderly in the United States.
Peter S.K. Chi, Cornell University
Joseph Laquatra, Cornell University
Objectives
- To analyze the spatial patterns of the elderly in ordinary housing
units, group housing and nursing homes.
- To identify unique community attributes (correlates) for the elderly
living in group housing and for those living in nursing homes.
- To identify distinct characteristics of those communities that do
not have group housing or nursing homes.
- To identify cost-effective stategies for developing group housing
programs for the elderly.
Key findings
- Overall, 92-95% of Americans lived in regular housing units,
< 1% in group housing and 5-7% in nursing homes.
- Counties with a higher percentage of elderly aged 85, having a higher
level of social service industry, and in the Midwest tend to have
a higher proportion of the elderly living in nursing homes.
- Counties located in the Northeast, with a higher level of active
physicians, higher median gross rent, higher levels of educational
achievement, higher per capita earnings in government, and higher
per capita earnings in all industries tend to have more elders living
in group housing.
- Adjacent counties (both have-and have-not) should form a strategic
alliance, matching their unique community attributes with their demand
of long-term care facilities. A county alliance, in its development
of group housing, should diversify the types of group housing, varying
with range of support services, levels of prices and methods of payment.
Implications
The aging policy for developing long-term programs may need a drastic shift from individualism to collectivism, from individual living to group living. Older Americans may also have to adjust their thinking to focus more on interdependence, and to recognize that in some cases only through interdependency will they be able to achieve independence.
Ithaca College
Center for Health Sciences
Ithaca, NY 14850
Phone: (607) 274-1965
Fax: (607) 274-1968
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