Responding to Home Maintenance Challenge Scenarios The Role of Selection, Optimization, and Compensation in Aging-in-Place

• Published in: Journal of applied gerontology Vol. 33; no. 8; pp. 1018 - 1042
• Main Authors: Kelly, Andrew John, Fausset, Cara Bailey, Rogers, Wendy, Fisk, Arthur D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.12.2014; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Aging - psychology; Cognition; Cognition & reasoning; Compensation and Redress; Defense Mechanisms; Elderly; Female; Georgia; Gerontology; Housework; Humans; Independent Living - economics; Independent Living - psychology; Male; Older people; Optimization; Social Support; Values; Georgia; SOC model; aging-in-place; home maintenance
• ISSN: 0733-4648; 1552-4523
• DOI: 10.1177/0733464812456631

This study examined potential issues faced by older adults in managing their homes and their proposed solutions for overcoming hypothetical difficulties. Forty-four diverse, independently living older adults (66-85) participated in structured group interviews in which they discussed potential solutions to manage difficulties presented in four scenarios: perceptual, mobility, physical, and cognitive difficulties. The proposed solutions were classified using the Selection, Optimization, and Compensation (SOC) model. Participants indicated they would continue performing most tasks and reported a range of strategies to manage home maintenance challenges. Most participants reported that they would manage home maintenance challenges using compensation; the most frequently mentioned compensation strategy was using tools and technologies. There were also differences across the scenarios: Optimization was discussed most frequently with perceptual and cognitive difficulty scenarios. These results provide insights into supporting older adults’ potential needs for aging-in-place and provide evidence of the value of the SOC model in applied research.