An Analysis of Residential Satisfaction for Low-Income Senior Citizens

• Published in: Journal of Asian architecture and building engineering 2009, Vol.8 (2), p.393-399
• Main Authors: Kim, Inha, Park, Kyungnam, Lee, Youmi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1346-7581; 1347-2852
• DOI: 10.3130/jaabe.8.393

Korea will become an Aged-Society by the year 2018 and a Super-Aged Society by the year 2026. Because such a large demographic shift will continue, more attention should be given to the housing problems of low- income senior citizens as a response to aging of the population. This research examines residential satisfaction of low-income senior citizens based on the housing and social characteristics of 72 older adults from 3 different communities in Seoul obtained in direct interviews. In addition, visits were made to their homes for actual measurements and on-site observations. The average age of respondents was 75 years, 75% were living alone, and 83.3% were receiving National Basic Livelihood Security. Approximately 55% of the homes did not meet the minimum housing standard with overall satisfaction of 2.86 on a scale of five. The factors of greatest dissatisfaction were level of natural light, winter heating, and dampness in the room. Respondents visited one to three different community centers every day and participated in an average of three programs, the most popular being meal services, health improvement programs, and medical services. The senior welfare centers were the most important public places for these senior citizens.