349P
Relocation in Urban Contexts: Reimagining a Future Self in Older Adulthood
As urban contexts redefine themselves, how are older adults both part of its past, and part of its rebuilding? Relocation in older adulthood can be fraught with future concerns of autonomy, frailty, and mortality. While predictive factors of relocation, including health and death of a spouse, have been established (Wiseman, 1980; Litwak and Longino, 1987), limited attention has been paid to understanding the process of moving in older adulthood, and analyzing the diversity of experiences. Often, relocation in later life is an experience that involves reconciling one’s past and possessions, and planning for one’s future needs (Marcoux, 2001; Luborsky et al., 2012, Perry, 2012).
Considering neighborhood distress and decline in Detroit, Michigan, it is critical to examine relocation in an urban context and its relationship to health and well-being. For this project, I utilized Baltes and Baltes’ (1990) Selection, Optimization with Compensation (SOC) model as a theoretical lens to understand moving. Given health disparities in urban communities, how are the health and well-being of urban African American older adults “optimized” for older adults and their family members through relocation? The specific aims of the project are: 1) To identify the lived experiences of African American elders and their involved kin transitioning to and living in Senior Housing, including factors that triggered relocation and 2) To apply the SOC models to their moves.
Methods
This NIH funded qualitative study obtained triangulated perspectives on moving in older adulthood. The researcher recruited older adults (n=20) who had relocated in the past year in and around Detroit, Michigan and older adults 60 and above who self-identified as African American were included. During the interview with the older adult, the researcher asked them to identify kin who were most involved in the move and conducted interviews with kin (n=18) to gain their perspective. Participants were recruited from the Healthier Black Elders Participant Resource Pool, media, senior housing providers, and churches. Data collection included semi-structured interviews with older adults and kin, survey data collection (CDC HRQOL-14"Healthy Days Measure") with older adults to understand their health and well-being, and participant observation. Data were transcribed and analyzed for salient themes by two members of the research team to increase trustworthiness.
Results:
After applying the SOC theoretical lens, the results present possible optimization and compensation techniques employed by older adults who have selected a different living environment, organized by different themes. Themes include decreased living spaces, differences in processing relocation experiences based on a continuum of voluntariness and control, their varying supports, potential losses/gains of social networks and resiliency.
Conclusions/Implications:
This study contributes to the understanding of diverse experiences of housing transitions. Geriatric social workers have critical roles to play in these in post-relocations adjustments as resource brokers and therapeutic supporters. This research can contribute to the development of supportive interventions to seniors and their kin. By examining the emotional, health-related, financial, and logistical supports needed for urban seniors making a housing transition, this research has been taken to federal and state policy makers supporting local revitalization efforts.