Older people's decisions regarding 'ageing in place': A Western Australian case study

Abstract

Aim: To investigate ‘ageing in place’ in terms of house, locality and support, related to the Western Australia members of National Seniors Australia. Methods: A postal survey of 6859 members, followed by structured interviews with a subsample of respondents. Results: A similar proportion of respondents (nearly 30%) had either moved house recently or not for at least 20 years. Almost half were intending to stay in their current residence as they aged, this proportion increasing with age. A key reason for staying was having a ‘comfortable’ home. Related to moving, lifestyle change was particularly important for younger respondents and upkeep/maintenance difficulties for older respondents. Conclusion: For varied and complex reasons, many adults choose to move between the ages of 55 and 75. Government policy can further support older Australians to have choices of ‘places’ to live in that maximise their ability to retain independence.