Understanding ‘aging in place’ practices for low income elderly homeowners in NC urban areas

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand ‘aging in place (AIP)’ practices of North Carolina urban elderly homeowners, in particular, older limited resource homeowners. Rationale: High nursing home costs imply that AIP can yield substantial savings for elderly families and for the government (Pennsylvania Health Care Association, n.d.; U.S. HUD, 2013). Neighborhood stability is also a positive outcome of AIP in that if the elderly are able to remain in their homes, the neighborhood benefits from satisfied homeowners who are more engaged in neighborhood activities and make financial contributions to the economic growth of their local community. This refers to a critical impact of AIP on older homeowners and communities, which leads to a question on what factors could affect older homeowners’ AIP. Currently, in the field of housing, urban low-income elderly homeowners aging in place have been less explored. This qualitative study was well-placed in NC which ranks 9th among U.S. states in the number of those aged 65 and over (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014); where a high proportion (43%) of the NC aging population resides in urban areas and where 80% of the aging cohort are homeowners (NC Division of Aging and Adult Services, 2011). Methodology: With a qualitative phenomenological approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with 30 low-income elderly homeowners in a central NC city. Open-ended questions covered housing choice, residential (neighborhood and town) environment, financial and health challenges, and home modification. A non-profit housing organization for low-income elderly homeowners (age 55 and over) assisted with sample recruitment. Participants were contacted by the organization, and then by the Housing Research Team to schedule an interview. Interview responses were tape-recorded and transcribed for content analysis (Berelson, 1971). Findings: Interview participants (M=73 years old) were mostly single (28), female (29), and African American (19) with annual income less than $25,000 (29). Eighteen lived alone, and nine lived with children/grandchildren. Most lived in one-story and single detached housing (29). The majority heavily depended on government resources. Most participants (21) desired to age in place. House or lot features, family connection, finance, and location were the reasons for choosing their current home. In terms of residential environment, informal support, convenience, residential environment problems, and opportunities for job or affordable housing were important factors affecting AIP. Regarding health and financial challenges, uncertain financial conditions and prevalence of weakened or chronic health conditions negatively affected their AIP. For urban low-income aging homeowners, home modification/repair services contributed to better housing conditions, leading to enhanced AIP ability. Conclusions and Implications: As an elderly homeowner having low-income, AIP may be the only option for current and future living. With these qualitative findings, NC urban low-income elderly homeowners aging in place can be better understood by housing professionals, family and consumer educators, city or local governments, and/or nonprofit organizations. Future research may include a quantitative study targeting a larger sample and/or multiple locations or a comparison study with rural elderly homeowners, that could enhance the knowledge of low-income older homeowners and their aging in communities.