Summary
Neighbourhoods for Ageing in Place
Hanna van Dijk
In their struggle to support growing numbers of community-dwelling older people with complex needs, western governments increasingly rely on ageing in place policies and engagement of the community. However, we remain relatively ignorant about the feasibility and implications of these policy imperatives. This thesis therefore sheds light on a) important neighbourhood characteristics that support ageing in place and b) the effects and processes of an integrated neighbourhood approach (INA) that aims to promote ageing in place. The findings demonstrate that both physical and social neighbourhood characteristics carry great significance for older people’s wellbeing and ability to age in place. This study further shows that the effectiveness of integrated neighbourhood approaches may be promoted by meso and macrolevel contexts that carefully anticipate needs for innovation and collaboration at the microlevel of care and support provision. Current policy aspirations also ask for careful consideration of normative and relational aspects of integrated care and support. This thesis will be of particular interest to those researching, practicing or governing innovative ways to support community-dwelling older people.
