| Title |
A Fundamental Study on Housing for the Elderly through an Analysis of Senior Adults' Needs |
| Keywords |
Senior Adults ; Housing for the Elderly ; Housing Values ; Interior Layouts ; Facilities ; Interior Images |
| Abstract |
It is predicted that Korea will turn into an aged society in 2019. Busan, one of the largest cities in Korea, will reach this stage in 2015. It is necessary to search for ways to maintain the welfare of the aged. This study aims to propose a housing model that allows the elderly to maintain their independent lifestyle. In line with the purpose of this study, 305 healthy adults in Busan, 45 to 78 years of age, answered a questionnaire in May, 2006. They were asked the physical and economic status of their elderly life and the needs for the interior layouts of elderly housing. The findings are as follows: (1) Elderly housing should be planned on the basis of growth in the seniors' couple households and their low economic status; (2) The housing values for the elderly were distributed into three factors, "the dwellness," "the independence," and "the sociality." Privacy, in particular, was regarded as one of the primary principle of designing homes for the elderly; (3) The subjects indicated various needs for elderly housing in terms of dwelling size, under 60㎡ to over 120㎡, and the interior layouts, LDK, DK, LD, and L+D+K. Housing for the elderly, first of all, should include the facilities related to safety and health, such as a no-threshold design. It should have convenience and function including a full-storage space. The subjects also prefer to have "vital" and "practical" interior image for all the interior spaces. Adding to this, they prefer "formal," "natural" and "classic" images for the living room, "formal," "simple" and "sober" images for the dining room, and "natural" and "sober" images for the bedroom. |