The living environments of community-dwelling older people who become frail: another look at the living standards of older New Zealanders survey.

Abstract

Efforts to support older people who live in the community and who become frail will be enhanced by a better appreciation of the shared characteristics of this group. This paper reports indicative findings from a re-analysis of the Living Standards of Older New Zealanders survey (Fergusson et al. 2001) about the living conditions of this group in terms of their household arrangements, their income and standard of living, their housing situation, issues they face in terms of mobility and transport, and their social connectedness. Findings suggest a higher prevalence of frailty among older people with lower income levels and wealth, less secure housing, limitations to mobility, and with less frequent social contact. Disadvantage in these areas reduces the ability of the older person to adjust to their living environment, affecting the potential for recovery and the maintenance of wellbeing. Such disadvantage may well be amenable to social policy amelioration and is worthy of consideration by policy makers.