Who prefers to age in place? Cross‐sectional survey of middle‐aged people in Japan

AIM: Preference for aging in place among middle-aged people is an important element in estimating the future needs for community services of disabled older adults. Drawing on Litwak and Longino's typologies of relocation, the present study investigated the characteristics of middle-aged adults who prefer to age in place and those who prefer to move, at two levels of disability: being unable to walk alone and being bedridden. METHODS: In the present cross-sectional study, an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was sent to 2500 community-dwelling adults aged 40-64 years. RESULTS: If unable to walk outside alone, 43.0% of respondents would prefer to move from their own homes. If bedridden, 29.5% preferred to move. After age and sex had been adjusted for, house size, length of time living at that house, the number of people living together, and attachment to home and neighborhood were independently related to moving preferences if unable to walk outside alone. Accessibility of hospitals and supermarkets, community participation, and use of the Internet were related to moving preferences if bedridden. CONCLUSIONS: Sex, current living arrangement and geographic properties are correlated with changes in community-dwelling adults' preferences for residential relocation as physical function declines. It is necessary for municipal policymakers to understand these correlations in order to plan and develop effective community care systems. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 631-637.