Berghof, Anouck (2023) Ageing Socially: The role of social infrastructure on elderly people's capability to age-in-place. Master thesis.
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Abstract
In 2018, the Dutch national government launched the programme “Langer Thuis” in which they formulate the ambition to facilitate elderly people with the opportunity to remain in their own home as they age. They argue that elderly people need independence to achieve this, which can be facilitated through the enhancement of their social environment. To achieve this, the government aims to have more cooperation between health care professionals. In academic literature, elderly people remaining in their own home rather than moving to a residential health care facility is discussed as the concept of ageing-in-place. To facilitate ageing-in-place, age-friendly neighbourhoods should be designed, which includes places that facilitate opportunities to meet others. Places that facilitate social interactions are part of the social infrastructure of a neighbourhood. The aim of this research is to explore the role of social infrastructure in ageing-in-place through the lens of the capability approach. The capability approach revolves around the individual resources and endowments that can be transformed into capabilities through contextual conversion factors. A case study was conducted of the community centre Buurten Bij Bernlef in Groningen with a focus on the cards club that takes place there. Through a qualitative mixed-methods approach of participant observations and semi-structured interviews, which were analysed with thematic open coding in ATLAS.ti, the resources and endowments, conversion factors and capabilities that are relevant within the context of social infrastructure were analysed. The resources financial capital, an adequate community centre, supportive friends and family, biographical identity, and personal nature can dictate an elderly person’s ability to use social infrastructure. Furthermore, the conversion factors of accessible built environment and proximity of services and amenities are needed to facilitate social infrastructure. Meaningful social contacts as a beneficial conversion factor for ageing-in-place can be enhanced through social infrastructure. Lastly, the three key capabilities for independence in later life of enjoying a fulfilling social life, being mobile, being comfortable in your own home, which plays a central role in ageing-in-place, can all be facilitated through social infrastructure. Although social infrastructure must be considered as a broader network, the community centre can be considered a vital node of social infrastructure. Therefore, the approach in the programme “Langer Thuis” should recognize the vital importance of community centres and include a broader network in their cooperation to enhance the social environment of elderly people.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
|---|---|
| Degree programme: | Society, Sustainability and Planning (MSc Socio-spatial Planning) |
| Supervisor: | Lanen, S. van and Meijering, L.B. |
| Date Deposited: | 31 Aug 2023 12:42 |
| Last Modified: | 31 Aug 2023 12:42 |
| URI: | https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/4355 |
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