| Title |
Analytical Study on the Pre-Elderly / Elderly Life Patterns and Their Preferred Residential Space Characteristics for Active Aging Supportive Collective Housing Unit Design |
| Authors |
Chang, Seongju ; Son, Juntae ; Park, Hansaem |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5659/JAIK_PD.2017.33.1.31 |
| Keywords |
Active Aging ; Demographic Characteristics ; Collective Housing ; Lifestyle ; Spatial Preference ; Cross Tabulation Analysis |
| Abstract |
This study explored demographic characteristics based everyday lifestyle patterns and preferred spatial requirements of potential collective housing residents in Korea who would pursue 'Ambient Assisted Living' with 'Aging In Place' initiatives. Online questionnaire survey was commissioned for the pre-elderly and elderly age groups of 40s, 50s and above 60s, 801 individuals in total. Survey participants were asked to select 3 most preferred answers among 5 with ranked priority to clearly capture each testee's true priority choices over 50 carefully designed questions in relation with promoting healthcare sensitive residential spaces. Comprehensive analysis was carried out by processing the survey results with cross-tabulation analysis. The outcome showed fairy unanimous preference patterns across majority of the questions regardless of gender, age, and economic status differences. Formation of separate and independent household, relatively spacious living room, possible layout alteration after moving into a residence, non-slippery bathroom floor, bio-medic sensor embedded chair or sofa were identified as those commonly preferred requirements of physical space design for an household. Some subject groups such as female and age group of over 60s show similar preference profile in the sense that both groups prefer living in the same collective residence when they are aged, cooking ordor ventilating kitchen, bed with storage below, ventilation for kitchen and bathroom. This implies certain demographic groups share their residential preference when aging is in progress. Differentiated residential preference profiles among different demographic groups were also identified. For instance, male, age groups of 50s and over 60s, low-income group prefer living in a same household whereas female, age group of 40s and high-income group turn out to prefer living in a separate household in the same collective housing complex when they are aged. While most of testees prefer garden farming for their apartment veranda, age group of 40s and high-income group express their preference of using veranda as a resting place. Comprehensive analysis on those preference profiles across major demographic classification was summarized in table format focused on healthcare sensitive household unit design. This study is a pioneering attempt to identify a set of preferred health-sensitive lifestyles and residential space requirements to be insightful for planning and designing 'active aging in place' supportive collective housing household units in Korean context. |