Why Do Elderly Households Not Want to Modify Their Homes?:
Focusing on Seoul

In Sook Kim and Jun-Hyung Kim (2023. 8), "Why Do Elderly Households Not Want to Modify Their Homes?: Focusing on Seoul," Housing Studies Review, 31(3): 33-62.
김인숙·김준형 (2023. 8), “고령가구는 왜 주택개조를 원하지 않는가?: 서울시를 중심으로”, 「주택연구」, 31(3): 33-62.

Abstract

It is neither financially feasible to place all the elderly population in need of care into welfare facilities nor will it be welcomed by the elderly considering their preference for aging in place. Ultimately, it is essential to undertake home modification on the house that the elderly currently live in to ensure a safer and more convenient environment. The modification must be carried out on the premise of the consent of the elderly living in it, but many elderly people are in a contradictory situation where they do not feel the need for home modification. This study analyzes data from the 2021 Korea Housing Survey conducted jointly by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Seoul Metropolitan Government to examine which factors determine the needs of the elderly for home modification.

The result shows that one of the reasons for not renovating houses is that their current housings are relatively in good condition. However, possibility of not feeling the need for home modification is clearly observed even though the housing is not in good shape. The reasons include cases where physical aging has not progressed to the point of requiring home modification, adapted to the discomforts of their homes over years of residence, their adult children provide support in uncomfortable or risky situations, and financially not able to bear the home modification costs. This underscores that even if the elderly do not require home modification, the modification should be carried on when an objective evaluation of the safety and convenience of their housing deems renovations necessary.

Keywords

Elderly Households, Barrier-free Housing, Home Modification, Aging in Place, Aging Society
고령가구, 무장애주택, 주택개조, 에이징인플레이스, 고령사회