Utilizing a large-scale public health survey in Sweden, this paper analyzes the relationship between the fraction of elderly above the age of 80 who live in various tenure forms, and their social engagement. Social engagement is a measure of both social interaction with others, and overall engagement in society. This measure has an established relationship with mental and physical health, even as the causal mechanism are still understudied. Across 130 municipalities, we find that a higher fraction of elderly living in elderly housing is associated with a lower fraction of elderly classified as having a low level of social engagement. We also find that a higher fraction of elderly living in single-family houses is associated with a higher fraction of elderly classified as having a low level of social engagement. The results support that closer proximity to neighbors, and potentially the engagement offered through services in elderly care, increases overall social engagement among the elderly, thereby also assumably promoting better mental and physical health. We elaborate on the relationship between the findings, and housing policies toward elderly populations.

As in many other countries, the population of Sweden is getting older. This means that the number of older people in society will increase in absolute numbers and relative terms. Consequently, the need for elderly housing will increase, and the cost of these investments will be high. The following study aims to perform a quantitative analysis of the spatial distribution of the number and size of housing units for the elderly in Sweden in 2013-2018. The number of elderly housing units per capita is not evenly distributed, and a large part of the explanation is, of course, that the number of older people is not evenly distributed between municipalities. Nevertheless, we can also state that the municipality?s income level and tax base, as well as the geographical size and degree of urbanization, play a role. If the municipality has a surplus or deficit in the supply of special housing for the elderly, it does not correlate with the distribution of COVID-19 cases.

As in many other countries, the population in Sweden is getting older. It means that the number of older people in society increases in absolute numbers and relative terms. Consequently, this will mean that the need for elderly housing will increase and the cost of these investments will be high. The following study aims to quantitatively analyse the spatial distribution of the number and size of housing for the elderly in Sweden over 2013-2018. The number of elderly housing per capita is not evenly distributed, and a large part of the explanation is, of course, that the number of older people is not evenly distributed between municipalities. Nevertheless, we can also state that the municipality's income level and tax base, as well as the geographical size and degree of urbanisation, play a role. If the municipality has a surplus or deficit in the supply of special housing for the elderly, it has no correlation with the distribution of Covid-19 cases or with the forecast number of older people in the future.

For many years, it has been policy in Sweden to help elderly people remain in their current homes for as long as possible. Earlier research has been performed in the USA (Gibler and Clements III, 2011) and in China (Jia and Heath, 2016), but these questions remain understudied in Sweden. Kulander (2018) showed a model of the demand for adapted houses that was designed and tested on data gathered in Gävle in 2012. The method uses a binary choice model with stated preference data. In this article, we would like to test this model on a more general basis to see whether the result is the same no matter if the respondents live in an urban or rural area. An argument is that urban areas have a higher population density and thus higher taxes, higher demands on property and greater spread in the demography. This could be set in relation to the more rural areas characterized by low population density where the younger generation move to urban areas where the jobs are, which in turn creates supply of properties higher than the demand. In order to capture the pattern of the life cycle in housing, data for this paper has been gathered in Stockholm, Vallentuna, Uppsala, Sundsvall, Vansbro, Sollefteå, Torsby, Ragunda and Överkalix during 2015. From 7000 questionnaires that has been sent responses from about 40 % persons was received. Data indicate a difference between rural and urban areas as expected.

Purpose

Statistics from Eurostat show that several European countries have an increasing proportion of elderly people, making their housing situation of increasing interest. For many years, it has been policy in Sweden to help elderly people remain in their current homes for as long as possible. This paper aims to find reasons why people want to move at different stages in life and investigate whether the pattern follows the life cycle in housing. Earlier research has been performed in the USA (Gibler and Clements III, 2011) and in China (Jia and Heath, 2016), but these questions remain understudied in Sweden.

Design/methodology/approach

A model of the demand for adapted houses is designed and tested on data gathered in Gävle in 2012. The method uses a binary choice model with stated preference data.

Findings

The results of this study show that earlier preferences and age determine the future living situation, but that senior living (rental or condominium) is most popular as a future home.

Practical implications

Not everyone has the economic resources to move according to their preferences; reasons include high monthly costs and taxes. Changes in the tax system may produce better moving chains and increase the supply of affordable housing.

Originality/value

The model in this paper could guide future studies within the area.

In several countries in the world an increasing proportion of the population is 65 years or older, something that makes the housing situation for the elderly gaining more and more interest. For many years it has been a policy in Sweden to help elderly to stay at their current home as long as possible, often with the help of home care in different ways and at different levels. This may be a good policy for younger elderly that is active, but not for elderly that has reached a certain age and are less active as it may be a hindrance to someone that really wants to move. Is the preference towards moving different depending on your current living situation, and does the reason for moving differ depending on which group you belong to? The purpose of this article is to find reasons why people want to move at different stages in life, and if the pattern follows the life cycle in housing. Sweden is of interest because it is a country with relatively low expected self-financing when elderly care is needed compared to the average of EU-27. Also little research has been made in Sweden so far in this field. The result of the article is that different current housing may lead to different preferences of the future living situations, but that senior living – either as a rental living or a condominium – is most popular as a future home. A problem is however that not everyone has the economic resources to move according to their preferences due to for example high monthly costs and taxes. Data is used from a survey gathered in Gävle, Sweden 2012.

Andelen äldre personer i det svenska samhället ökar. I Sverige finns boendeformer som på olika sätt är anpassade efter äldres behov. Hur utbudet av dessa för äldre individer anpassade boendeformer ser ut och vilken information kommuner ger till äldre kan ses som viktiga för att förstå om äldre väljer att bo kvar eller flytta.  I denna rapport kartläggs hur nuvarande utbud av de tre boendeformerna vård- och omsorgsboende, trygghetsbostäder och seniorbostäder ser ut på bostadsmarknaden vad gäller den äldre befolkningen i tio utvalda kommuner. I rapporten ligger tonvikten på kommunala företrädares uppfattningar och på kommunernas planer. För att få en större förståelse görs jämförelser med siffror från samtliga kommuner hämtade från Boverkets Bostadsmarknadsenkät (2014). Denna rapport är den första delen av en större studie som syftar till att undersöka push- och pullfaktorer som påverkar äldres val av boende. Av kartläggningen framgår att bostadsutbudet i de olika kommunerna skiljer sig åt, där vissa har bostadsöverskott medan andra har bostadsunderskott men där majoriteten av kommunerna erbjuder de tre olika boendeformerna. I storstadsregionen och i de större städerna finns ett utbud av samtliga tre boendeformer medan flera av glesbygdskommunerna saknar trygghetsbostäder. Rådgivning i de flesta kommuner är reaktiv snarare än proaktiv. I rapporten väcks frågan om hur vi ska se på boendet för de äldsta.                      

Syftet med projektet har varit att belysa vilka push- respektive pullfaktorer som inverkar på äldres val av boende. För att få en förståelse för den kontext som kan påverka push- och pullfaktorer undersöktes även kommuners utbud av och information om bostäder för äldre. Utbudet av och information om seniorbostäder, trygghetsbostäder och vård- och omsorgsboende skiljer sig mellan kommuner och en samstämmighet kring synen på bostadsformer saknas. Detta återspeglas även i den kunskap som finns bland 55-84 åringar kring olika bostadsformer. Det finns vissa skillnader i hur pull- och push- faktorer påverkar vid olika åldrar men skillnaderna var mindre än förväntat.

For many years the policy in Sweden has been to help the elderly to stay in their current homes as long as possible. Is this a good policy for the elderly and is this a good policy from a welfare perspective? The study focused on two aspects of the moving pattern for the elderly. Are the household staying in their current home because it is optimal from the household’s point of view or because there is some kind of transaction cost? Is the optimal solution for the household also the best option for the society as a whole concerning moving chains for all age categories?

This study was carried out in Gävle, a medium sized city of approximately 70 000 inhabitants about 100 km north of Stockholm. The housing market is in general in equilibrium and the prices are about the average for the Swedish housing market which makes Gävle an interesting case. Gävle has also a tradition of researchers active within the housing sector. As an introduction to the main questionnaire study a pilot study was carried out during 2011 focusing on managers and persons living at nursing home in Gävle. The questions were focusing on transaction costs that may arise while moving when you are older. Five managers were interviewed and 18 persons living at different nursing homes.

As an alternative to moving to some kind of elderly living, the elderly can get various kinds of home service for a reduced fee. This means that it is important to separate the question “is the elderly moving to a smaller dwelling (downsizing) at the "right" time?” and the question “are they moving to some kind of elderly living at the "right" time?” As the pilot study showed that the decision to move to elderly living in the form of nursing home often is made by social authorities the focus was shifted to those considering downsizing within the ordinary housing sector. In total 1000 questionnaires was sent out to households in the age group 65-85 year within the ordinary housing sector, out of which 660 answered.

The study has only covered the information aspect to a minor extent, but if a person is satisfied with their current situation, as most households were, it should be lack of incentives rather than lack of information that is that prohibits the move, except for the oldest categories. Concerning the tax system, the study does not indicate that this is something that prohibits the elderly from moving, but this conclusion may depend on the price level of dwellings and it is therefore hard to generalize. Even if the tax system is not a problem, the concern for the monthly expenses is more of a problem. The monthly expenses may increase while downsizing because this may mean a newer and therefore more expensive dwelling. As the social network decreases with age and the health may deteriorate it may be possible to influence especially single-person households over 80 year that live in 3-5 room. Here direct subsidies to downsize and help to find better alternatives – like in U.K - might help elderly to go through with a move.

Sverige har under många år haft en policy att hjälpa de äldre att kunna bo kvar i sitt nuvarande boende så länge som möjligt. Är detta en bra policy för de äldre och är detta en bra policy ur ett välfärdsperspektiv? Denna studie fokuserar på två aspekter vad gäller de äldres flyttmönster. Stannar de äldre i sitt nuvarande boende för att det är optimalt för hushållet eller beror det på någon form av transaktionskostnader? Är det optimala boendet även optimalt ur ett välfärdsperspektiv vad gäller flyttkedjor för alla ålderskategorier?

Studien genomfördes i Gävle, en medelstor stad med ca 70 000 invånare ca 100 km norr om Stockholm. Bostadsmarknaden är generellt i jämvikt och priserna är ungefär genomsnittliga för den svenska bostadsmarknaden vilket gör att Gävle är ett bra exempel. Gävle har också en tradition av forskare som är aktiva inom fastighetssektorn. Som inledning till den huvudsakliga enkäten utfördes en pilotstudie under 2011 som fokuserade på avdelningschefer och boende på äldreboenden i Gävle. Frågorna fokuserade på transaktions-kostnader som kan uppkomma när man flyttar och är äldre. Fem avdelningschefer och 18 boende på olika äldreboenden intervjuades. Alternativet till att flytta till äldreboende är att ha hemtjänst. Detta betyder att det är viktigt att särskilja frågan

"flyttar de äldre till ett mindre boende (downsizing) vid rätt tidpunkt?" och frågan "flyttar de äldre till ett äldreboende vid rätt tidpunkt?". Eftersom pilotstudien visade att beslutet att flytta till ett äldreboende till stor del styrs av de sociala myndigheterna flyttades fokus istället på de som funderar på att flytta till mindre boende. Totalt skickades 1000 enkäter ut till hushåll I åldersgruppen 65-85 år, boende inom den ordinarie bostadssektorn, varav 660 svarade.

Studien täckte bara till en mindre del informationsaspekten, men om en person är nöjd med sin situation, vilket de allra flesta var, är det snarare brist på initiativ än brist på information som förhindrar flytt, förutom vad gäller de äldre ålderskategorierna. Vad gäller skattesystemet så kunde inga indikationer på att detta förhindrar äldres flyttmönster ses, men slutsatsen kan bero på prisnivån vilket gör att det inte går att generalisera. Även om skattesystemet inte är ett problem så oroar sig många över sina månatliga kostnader. De månatliga kostnaderna kan öka när man flyttar till ett mindre boende eftersom ett nyare boende kan innebära högre månadskostnader. Eftersom det sociala nätverket avtar med åldern och hälsan kan försämras är det möjligt att påverka speciellt en-persons-hushåll över 80 år, boende i 3-5-rumslägenheter. Här kan riktade åtgärder för att underlätta flytt till ett mindre boende eller hjälp att hitta bättre alternativ likt den hjälp som introducerats i Storbritannien ge effekter.

This article describes preliminary results from an ongoing study of the elderly accommodation situation in Gävle – a place situated at commuting-distance from Stockholm. The study is based on a questionnaire that was sent out in March to habitants in the age of 65-85 year, living in different kinds of housing. The question that is in focus is"Do the elderly move at the right time?" Do the elderly move when they, themselves, like to move, or does some kind of transaction cost exist that prohibits the elderly from moving? Transaction costs may arise in different ways – it may be financial or it may be psychological or it may be a combination of both. Questions are asked in the questionnaire that may – or may not - verify certain probable hypothesis. A pilot study has been made through interviews with managers and residents living at nursing homes to get a better overview of the Swedish social insurance system concerning the elderly.