Active aging in senior housing residents and community-dwelling older adults

Participation in meaningful activities, i.e., leading an active life in older age, contributes to a good quality of life. Active aging has not been studied in the senior housing context thus far. In this study, we aimed to compare the levels of active aging in senior housing residents and community-dwelling older people.

We pooled data from two different Finnish studies: the BoAktiv senior housing survey (N=336, 69% women, mean age 83 years) and the AGNES cohort study among community-dwelling older adults (N=1021, 57% women, mean age 79 years). Active aging was assessed with the University of Jyvaskyla Active Aging scale (UJACAS), which incorporates four perspectives to an active life: will to be active, ability to be active, overall possibilities to be active, and the amount or frequency of activity. The analyses were conducted separately for men and women.

Overall, men in senior houses demonstrated lower active aging scores than community-dwelling men (estimated marginal means, MM, 164.7 vs 185.7 points in the UJACAS total score). However, no difference was found in their will to be active. Women in senior houses showed a greater will to be active (MM 45.6 vs 43.1 points), but poorer ability and possibilities for activity than community-dwelling women (MM 50.8 vs 53.9 and 43.2 vs 45.8 points, respectively).

We may conclude that senior housing residents want to lead an active life. However, their overall possibilities and functional abilities to participate in meaningful activities should be supported to prevent a potential unmet activity need.

Active Aging in Senior Housing Residents and Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Comparative Study in Finland
Siltanen S, Keskinen KE, Lahti A-M, Rantanen T, von Bonsdorff M. Journal of Aging and Health.