| Summary: | 博士 === 國立政治大學 === 地政研究所 === 101 === This dissertation, firstly, introduces the basic overview of living arrangements of the elderly in Taiwan. Then, it analyzes the transitions in living arrangements among elderly of family values and exchange theory, meanwhile, it also analyzes “moving to be with children” and “returning to the nest” from needs factors and economic factors as well as family values and exchange theory. Then, it uses a panel study to examine the living arrangements of young-old, old-old, and oldest-old. Finally, it applies a theoretical basis of person-environment congruence and basic-needs content to analyze the changes in satisfaction with living arrangements of the elderly.
The value placed on family was often used to explain the influence on living arrangements transitions in previous literature. Yet economic factors have become important in modern society, therefore we need to use exchange theory to strengthen the explanation on transitions. This dissertation, therefore, attempts to compare these two explanations through analyzing transitions, and to examine the effects of these two viewpoints on transitions. Using a longitudinal data source, the Survey of Health and Living Status of the Elderly in Taiwan, produced by the Department of Health (Taiwan) and the University of Michigan, a binomial logit model is used to observe the behavior of transitions. The contribution of this dissertation mainly lies in taking the dynamic variables, the changes of related variables between baseline and follow-up, as independent variables to examine the influence on the transitions. Empirical results show that both family value and exchange theory cause the living arrangements transitions, but lack evidence to prove that a senior’s health deterioration or the loss of a spouse was the major determinant of the transition to live with children. Contrarily, transitions of living arrangements are more likely to occur when a senior changes her/his role as the economic decision-maker into the non economic decision-maker of the household or vice versa. That implies the influence of family values on transitions is decreasing, and the influence of exchange theory is increasing.
This dissertation also uses a longitudinal data source and takes the changes of related variables between baseline and follow-up as independent variables to examine what factors are associated with “moving to be with children” and “returning to the nest” among those living apart from children at baseline of Taiwanese seniors. Empirical results imply that “returning to the nest” is more likely to occur when a senior’s positive economic factors are changed; while “moving to be with children” is more likely to occur when a senior’s needs factors and negative economic factors are changed, and lacking evidence to prove that health deterioration was the major determinant of the transition to live with children.
Most previous research on elderly living arrangements examined all people aged 65 and over as a whole. Some cross-sectional studies on aging employed different samples, as did some longitudinal studies. This dissertation examines the living arrangements of young-old, old-old, and oldest-old in Taiwan. A panel study was used to answer the following questions: Is the proportion of coresidence with increased age U-shaped or decreased linearly? What influence does aging have on living arrangements? Analytical results show that the proportion of coresidence decreased linearly among the same samples for the young-old, old-old, and oldest-old. Empirical results show that some factors were significant at some stages, while not significant at other stages, that is, they were affected by aging. Additionally, some factors related to living arrangements for all three age groups, and their effects differed with increased age. All of them are good indicators in predicting the determinants of elderly living arrangements for the three groups.
This dissertation also uses a longitudinal data source, applies a theoretical basis of person-environment congruence and basic-needs content, and takes the dynamic variables, the changes in related variables between the baseline and follow-up, as independent variables to examine the determinants of changes in satisfaction with living arrangements of the elderly. Empirical results indicate that both person-environment congruence and basic-needs content partially cause changes in satisfaction with living arrangements, and the “love me, love my dog” hypothesis is also fulfilled. This dissertation suggests that changes in satisfaction with living arrangements are mainly attributed to the congruence or fit between the environment and the individual.
Summarily, the proportion of dissatisfaction with living arrangements increases as age increases, the condition of health worsened linearly and the proportion of living with children is decreased with increased age, many factors have been implied the influence of traditional values on family care is decreasing. No matter what kind of living arrangement the elderly adopted, they should improve the living arrangement satisfaction, and enhance the welfare. At this time, beyond the improvements through effective measures of the government, the elderly should fend for themselves by improving the living environment, moving to a good medical environment, transferring the power of decision-making to children, and more involving in sociability or visiting relatives, friends and neighbors. And then they achieve successful aging happily.
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