The experience of 'ageing in place' over time: a longitudinal perspective.

'Ageing in place' is a popular term in current social policy, most commonly defined as supporting the preferences of older people to remain at home for as long as possible.

The benefits of this type of approach have yet to be systematically explored, with few studies focusing on its meaning for older people and insufficient connection between research and policy. However, whilst environmental aspects of ageing in place have been the subject of detailed study, the temporal dimension - the way in which feelings, experiences, and attachments to neighbourhoods change over time - has received much less attention in ageing research.

This project follows a qualitative longitudinal approach in order to explore how older people’s relationships to place change over time. The project involves the secondary analysis of 70 life history interviews with older people (age 50 and over) living in four different locations in Greater Manchester in order to understand how experiences of 'ageing in place over time' differ across contrasting urban neighbourhoods. The research draws on an ESRC-funded resource, Timescapes: An ESRC Qualitative Longitudinal Initiative.

Dr Ruth Webber is the Research Associate working full time on this project.