Living Arrangements and Well-being of the Older Population: Future Research Directions

Living arrangements are influenced by a variety of factors, including marital status, financial well-being, health status, and family size and structure, as well as cultural traditions such as kinship patterns, the value placed on living independently or with family members, the availability of social services and social support, and the physical features of housing stock and local communities. In turn, living arrangements affect life satisfaction, health, and most importantly for those living in the community, the chances of institutionalization. One’s living arrangements are dynamic, they change over the life course, adapting to changing life circumstances.