Senectus

SUBMITINFORMATION
EnglishTürkçe

Research Article


DOI :10.26650/senectus.2023.1.2.0013   IUP :10.26650/senectus.2023.1.2.0013    Full Text (PDF)

Design of Institutional Elderly Living Spaces in the Context of the Aging of Society and the Housing Problems in Old Age

Esra Akan

Population aging is one of the most important demographic phenomena in the current century. The fact that the world’s population is aging has been reflected in statistical values. According to data from the World Health Organization, the proportion of the elderly population in the global population is expected to reach 22% by 2050 and exceed the proportion of the young population. The aging of the world population and the increasing proportion of the elderly population in our country will increase the need for services for elderly people and make it necessary to address the situation in the dimension of architectural design. The fast and individualized lifestyle dictated by age and the housing production that keeps pace with this social change can drive elderly individuals to experience loneliness. Elderly people, who are becoming increasingly lonely in the face of social problems, are increasingly in need of institutionalized elderly living spaces that are built on the right constructs, which can meet their psychosocial and psychospatial needs, as well as their basic housing needs. In this context, the necessity of addressing solutional approaches for the future should be taken into consideration.

Keywords: Elderly people and space, Environmental adaptation, Elderly housing, Institutional living space design
DOI :10.26650/senectus.2023.1.2.0013   IUP :10.26650/senectus.2023.1.2.0013    Full Text (PDF)

Toplumun Yaşlanması ve Yaşlılıkta Barınma Problemi Bağlamında Kurumsal Yaşlı Yaşam Alanları Tasarımı

Esra Akan

Nüfus yaşlanması, içinde bulunduğumuz yüzyılda öne çıkan önemli demografik olgulardan biridir. Dünya nüfusunun saçlarının beyazladığı gerçeği istatistiksel değerlerle de kendini göstermektedir. Dünya Sağlık Örgütü verilerine göre küresel nüfus içindeki yaşlı nüfus oranının 2050 yılına kadar %22’ye ulaşması ve genç nüfus oranını geçmesi öngörülmektedir. Dünya nüfusunun küresel olarak yaşlanması ve yaşlı nüfus oranının ülkemizde de giderek artması, yaşlılara yönelik hizmetlere olan ihtiyacı arttırmakta, durumun mimari tasarım boyutunda da ele alınmasını gerekli kılmaktadır. Çağın dikte ettiği hızlı ve bireyselleşen yaşam biçimi ile bu sosyal değişime ayak uyduran konut üretimi, yaşlı bireyleri yalnızlığa sürüklemektedir. Sosyal sorunlar içinde gitgide yalnızlaşan yaşlıların, temel barınma ihtiyaçlarını olduğu kadar psikososyal ve psikomekânsal ihtiyaçlarını da karşılayabilecekleri, doğru kurgulara oturtulmuş kurumsal yaşlı yaşam alanlarına gereksinimleri de günbegün artmaktadır. Bu bağlamda gelecekle ilgili çözümsel yaklaşımların şimdiden ele alınmasının gerekliliği önemle dikkate alınmalıdır.

Keywords: Yaşlı ve mekân, Çevresel uyum, Yaşlılıkta barınma, Kurumsal yaşam alanı tasarımı

EXTENDED ABSTRACT


Population aging is one of the most important demographic phenomena in the current century. Advances in technology and medicine have increased the quality of life of people, prolonging the average human lifespan. This has led to an increase in the proportion of the elderly population globally. The fact that the world’s population is aging has been reflected in statistical values. According to data from the World Health Organization, the proportion of the elderly population in the global population is expected to reach 22% by 2050 and exceed the proportion of the young population. The aging of the world population and the increasing proportion of the elderly population in our country will increase the need for services for elderly people and make it necessary to address the situation in the dimension of architectural design.

As the proportion of the elderly population increases, the need for old age institutions is predicted to increase greatly. The factors of the processes that lead elderly individuals to live in institutions are multidimensional. Considering the psychosocial changes in old age, it is seen that elderly individuals’ social activity and power, social life, and interactions decrease; and they become more passive. The loss of spouses, friends, or companions; changes in the family structure; and the departure of children from the home for reasons, such as education, work, and marriage, in line with the requirements of modern life; cause the social circles of elderly individuals to shrink. In this situation, it may become difficult for elderly people to deal with housework, shopping, maintaining the continuity of daily routines, and even taking care of themselves. Housing production, which moves in parallel with shrinking family structures and rapidly individualizing lifestyles, keeps pace with age. Additionally, multiroom houses, where spatial configurations and layouts change, are rapidly being replaced by living units with two rooms plus a living room, only two rooms, or only one room. Thus, elderly peoplebexperience spatial changes with isolation in the physical environment.

When creating housing alternatives in the architectural dimension, in addition to the physical competencies and other competencies of elderly people, it is necessary to take into account various factors, such as their social and psychological needs, the maintenance of the life they are accustomed to, the protection of their private life rights, the continuation of their lives in the society, and the increase in their living standards through the use of technology. Based on this context, it is essential to take into account the differences in elderly spatial behavior and perception in the design of elderly institutions and living spaces.

Considering the life processes of elderly people, there are different factors that determine their quality of life and adaptation to the environment. Lawton and Nahemow’s “Ecological Theory of Adaptation and Aging” states that in gerontological terms, elderly people are faced with unlimited challenges in both directions of physical competence and environmental pressure. In this framework, the concept of adaptation, as a behavioral outcome, defines the interaction between competence and pressure that elderly people can or cannot tolerate. In this context, it is important to examine the phenomenon of space for elderly people in the process of adaptation. Old age or aging can emerge as an adaptation problem in which competence decreases and environmental pressure cannot be overcome. Thus, the discipline of architecture should take the responsibility of seeking spatial solutions to this adaptation problem.

The deep ties that individuals have formed to the environment in which they have lived for many years during the aging process may be a source of stress when they move away from this environment. For example, for elderly people who move to an institution, the new environment, which they come to by choice or necessity, constitutes an unfamiliar environment. Moreover, the administrators, staff, and residents in this structure are elements of an unfamiliar social environment and can create environmental pressure on these elderly people. Elderly people may experience anxiety, worry, and uncertainty in the face of social and physical changes as a result of changes in the environment in which they live, and they may also show maladaptive behaviors toward new places.

Since the 1970s, the science of aging and the discipline of architecture have been working on gerontological space concepts for elderly people in order to create harmonious environments within the range of competence and environmental stresses faced by these people. Gerontechnological design, new spatial arrangements, assisted living strategies for these spaces, and traditional and innovative housing/building/ living models are important research topics in architectural design. It is very important to create an infrastructure for the production of architectural design models that support the adaptation zones of the Ecological Adaptation Theory.

Depending on whether elderly institutional designs respond to the affective and behavioral needs of elderly people, they could cause harmonious or maladaptive behavioral reactions and pave the way for the formation of high and low interactive spatial environments. The cognitive and behavioral states of elderly people depend on not only their own competencies and abilities, but also their interactions with the physical environment.

Architectural design usually seeks a solution to a problem related to concrete space within the framework of standards. However, these standards are not sufficient to solve the psychological and social problems of elderly people. As such, building performance in old age institutions is a serious problem. The architectural design process, which proceeds only on the basis of qualitative data, leads to the production of spaces that are not sufficient for elderly people with sensory and affective needs beyond the usual standards, which may make them resent life and turn inward. Considering that old age is a period of change, the space should be included in this change.

From literature-based examinations, the solutions developed by countries for the housing problem of the elderly population can generally be explained in two basic dimensions. The first is the dimension of adapting existing housing to the physical and social conditions appropriate to the situation, with services and care services that will allow elderly people to live as long as possible in their own house. The second is the dimension of establishing new living environments in the form of housing or institutional structures designed for the dependency levels of individuals.

The solutions and alternatives that countries offer to their elderly population are shaped within their own social structures. The diversity of services and alternatives developed for the housing problem of elderly people can provide clearer answers to such problems. In this context, it is necessary to both improve existing services and develop new policies, taking into account that the elderly population for which alternatives will be produced is not a homogeneous group with regard to factors, such as dependency level, age, gender, educational status, marital status, and income level.

Within the scope of this article, a report in which elderly-oriented factors have been included in the design is presented by tracing the fictional changes of exemplary institutional elderly living spaces involving different geographies and cultures in a historical process. It is seen that institutional environments developed through different models seek solutions to meet the sensory and affective needs of elderly people.

It is seen that buildings are drawn from isolated to centralized environments, the sustainability of active aging in life is given importance, and connections with urban life and activities are increased. Getting closer to environments that support intergenerational interaction is important. The area and features of internal and external social interaction places need to be taken into account in the dimension of design, considering the differences of elderly users. By increasing the area of living units, it is seen that home-like design details are given importance, and personal bathroom and kitchen requirements are taken into consideration.

The design process for the elderly population should be handled with a holistic approach that includes psychological, sociological, and cultural dimensions to improve their quality of life beyond creating a physical environment. Concepts such as freedom/ autonomy, connectivity/belonging, accessibility, social relationship/high interaction, and security/privacy can play roles as parameters to improve the quality of life of elderly people, meet their spatial behavior needs, and increase their ability to easily “adapt” to their changing environment.


PDF View

References

  • Aile, Çalışma ve Sosyal Hizmetler Bakanlığı. (2020). Yaşlı nüfusun demografik değişimi. https:// www.aile.gov.tr/media/45354/yasli-nufus-demografik-degisimi-2020.pdf google scholar
  • Aile, Çalışma ve Sosyal Hizmetler Bakanlığı. (2023). Yaşlı hakları ulusal eylem planı 2023-2025. https://www.aile.gov.tr/media/133624/yasli_haklari_ulusal_eylem_plani.pdf google scholar
  • Akan, E. (2017). Yaşlılık kurumlarında yaşlı kullanıcı mekânsal davranış ve bilişiminin mekânsal dizim bağlamında irdelenmesi (Doktora tezi, İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü). https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/ google scholar
  • Arch Daily. (2010). Aging in Africa / HWKN. https://www.archdaily.com/52529/aging-in-africa-hwkn google scholar
  • Arch Daily. (t.y.). Elderly house in Rikuzentakata city “Hokkori-ya” / The University of Tokyo Architectural Planning & Design Lab + DOG. https://www.archdaily.com/946509/elderly-housein- rikuzentakata-city-hokkori-ya-the-university-of-tokyo-architectural-planning-and-design-labplus- dog google scholar
  • Architectur and Wohmform. (1955). Altersheim in Berlin-Wedding (pp. 58–65). google scholar
  • Architectural Record 1. (1988). A Gentle Echo. November (pp. 120–123). google scholar
  • Architectural Record 2. (1988). High Spirits. November (pp. 114–115). google scholar
  • Bachelard, G. (1969). The Poetics of Space. Beacon Press. google scholar
  • Bauen Wohnen. (1966). Altenwohnungen white city estate in london. September (pp. 119–121). google scholar
  • Beyer, G., & Nierstrasz, F. H. J. (1967). Housing the aged in western countries. elsevier publishing co. Amsterdam. google scholar
  • Bezgal, N. (1990). Yaşlı yurtlarındaki kişisel yaşam alanının fiziksel ve psikososyal gereksinimlere göre değerlendirilmesi (Yüksek lisans tezi, Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, İstanbul). https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/ google scholar
  • Campbell, J. C. (1992). How policies change: The Japanese government the ageing policy. Princeton University Press. google scholar
  • Castillo, C., & Hitlin S. (2013). Copresence: Revisiting a building block for social ınteraction theories. Sociological Theory, 31, 168–192. google scholar
  • Çakır, D. (2004). 65 yaş üstü kullanıcıların fizyolojik, psikolojik ve sosyoekonomik gereksinmelerine göre yaşlı yurtları tasarlama kriterlerinin belirlenmesi ve Diyarbakır huzurevinde irdelenmesi (Yüksek lisans tezi, Dicle Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Diyarbakır). https://tez.yok.gov. tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/ google scholar
  • Daruşşafaka. (t.y.). Yakacık Rezidans. https://www.darussafaka.org/rezidanslar/yakacik-rezidans google scholar
  • Darülaceze Başkanlığı. (2022). Darülaceze sosyal hizmet şehri açılıyor. https://www.darulaceze. gov.tr/darulaceze-sosyal-hizmet-sehri-aciliyor/ google scholar
  • David Backer Architects. (t.y.). Mabuhay Court Community Center. http://www.dbarchitect.com/ project/detail/42/ google scholar
  • Dehan, P. (1995). L’habitation des personnes agees. Le Moniteur. google scholar
  • Devlet Planlama Teşkilatı. (t.y.). Türkiye’de yaşlıların durumu ve yaşlanma ulusal eylem planı. Yazar. google scholar
  • Durak, M. (2012). Yaşadığı ortamda yaşlıya hizmet modeli. YM Yayınlar. google scholar
  • Emiroğlu, V. (1984). Sosyal gerontoloji çalışmalarında kuramsal yaklaşımlar ve araştırma bulguları. Hacettepe Üniversitesi. google scholar
  • Güler, Ç. (1998). Yaşlılıkta tanımlar ve yaşlılık üstüne söylenenler. Turkish Journal of Geriatrics, 1, 105. google scholar
  • huzurevlerim.com. (t.y.). 75. yıl huzurevi yaşlı bakım ve rehabilitasyon merkezi. https://huzurevlerim. com/75-yil-huzurevi-yasli-bakim-ve-rehabilitasyon-merkezi.html google scholar
  • İmamoğlu, Ç. (2002). Toward an understanding of place schema: societal and ındividual level representations of asisted living (Doktora tezi). UWM. google scholar
  • İmamoğlu, Ç. (2007). Assisted living as a new place schema: a comparison with homes and nursing homes. Environment and Behavior, 39, 246–268. http://eab.sagepub.com/content/39/2/246.full. pdf+html google scholar
  • İmamoğlu, V. (1980). Binalara ilişkin zihinsel plan, kullanım ve değerlendirmeler. ODTÜ. google scholar
  • Kalınkara, V. (2011). Temel gerontoloji yaşlılık bilimi. Nobel Akademik Yayıncılık. google scholar
  • Koşaner, Y. (1995). Ders notları. Eskişehir Anadolu Üniversitesi, Mimarlık Fakültesi. google scholar
  • Koşar, N. (1996). Sosyal hizmetlerde yaşlı refahı alanı. Şafak Yayınları. google scholar
  • Lawton, M. P., & Nahemow, L. (1973). Ecology and the aging process. In C. Eisdorfer & M. P. Lawton (Eds.), The psychology of adult development and aging (pp. 619–674). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10044-020 google scholar
  • Lehr, U. (1994). Yaşlanmanın psikolojisi. Bilimsel ve Teknik Yayınları Çeviri Vakfı. google scholar
  • Love to Know. (2018). Lessons from elderly people in Japan. https://www.lovetoknow.com/life/ aging/elderly-people-japan#:~:text=In%20Japan%2C%20the%20elderly%20are,longer%20 than%20any%20other%20population google scholar
  • Narlıdere Kaymakamlığı. (t.y.). Narlıdere Huzurevi. http://www.narlidere.gov.tr/narlidere-huzurevi google scholar
  • Özkan, G. (1997). Yaşlı yurtları planlama ilkeleri üzerine bir araştırma (Yüksek lisans tezi, Mimar Sinan Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, İstanbul). https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/ google scholar
  • Pakdil, O. (1992). Yaşlılık sorunları ve yaşlılara sağlanan servisler (İngiltere örneği). Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Mimarlık Fakültesi Baskı Atölyesi. google scholar
  • Perkins, B., Hoglund, J. D., King, D., & Cohen, E. (2004). Building types basics for senior living. Villey6 Sons, Inc. google scholar
  • Sağsöz, A., Öztürk, K., Özgen, S., & Akbay, E. (1999, October 10-13). A case of residential life of the elderly people in the Trabzon old persons’s home/Türkiye. Paper presented at the Third International Conference of Gerontechnology, Germany google scholar
  • Sosyal Hizmet Uzmanı. (t.y.). Türkiye’de yaşlılar. http://www.sosyalhizmetuzmani.org/ turkiyedeyaslilar.html google scholar
  • Sürmen, Ş. (1988). Yaşlı yurtları yaşlı konutları. İ.T.Ü. Çevre ve Şehircilik Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezi Yayınları. google scholar
  • Tufan, İ. (2016). Antik Çağ’dan günümüze yaşlılık ve yaşlanma. Nobel Yayıncılık. google scholar
  • Uffelen C. (2012). Senioren residenzen und altersheime. Braun Publishing AG. google scholar
  • United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division. (2017). Living arrangements of older persons: a report on an expanded ınternational dataset. https://www. un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/ageing/LivingArrangements.pdf google scholar
  • United Nations Population Fund. (2012). Birleşmiş Milletler Genel Sekreter Raporları. Yazar. google scholar
  • Ünlü, A. (1998). Çevresel tasarımda ilk kavramlar. İ.T.Ü. Baskı Atölyesi. google scholar
  • Ünlü, A. (2017). Kişisel görüşme (Ocak 2017, İstanbul). google scholar
  • Valins, M. (1988). Housing for elderly people. The Architectural Press. google scholar
  • Weal, F., & Weal, F. (1988). Housing the elderly options and design. Chrysalis Books. google scholar
  • World Health Organization. (1989). Health of the elderly (Technical Report Series). Author. google scholar

Citations

Copy and paste a formatted citation or use one of the options to export in your chosen format


EXPORT



APA

Akan, E. (2023). Design of Institutional Elderly Living Spaces in the Context of the Aging of Society and the Housing Problems in Old Age. Senectus, 1(2), 145-184. https://doi.org/10.26650/senectus.2023.1.2.0013


AMA

Akan E. Design of Institutional Elderly Living Spaces in the Context of the Aging of Society and the Housing Problems in Old Age. Senectus. 2023;1(2):145-184. https://doi.org/10.26650/senectus.2023.1.2.0013


ABNT

Akan, E. Design of Institutional Elderly Living Spaces in the Context of the Aging of Society and the Housing Problems in Old Age. Senectus, [Publisher Location], v. 1, n. 2, p. 145-184, 2023.


Chicago: Author-Date Style

Akan, Esra,. 2023. “Design of Institutional Elderly Living Spaces in the Context of the Aging of Society and the Housing Problems in Old Age.” Senectus 1, no. 2: 145-184. https://doi.org/10.26650/senectus.2023.1.2.0013


Chicago: Humanities Style

Akan, Esra,. “Design of Institutional Elderly Living Spaces in the Context of the Aging of Society and the Housing Problems in Old Age.” Senectus 1, no. 2 (May. 2024): 145-184. https://doi.org/10.26650/senectus.2023.1.2.0013


Harvard: Australian Style

Akan, E 2023, 'Design of Institutional Elderly Living Spaces in the Context of the Aging of Society and the Housing Problems in Old Age', Senectus, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 145-184, viewed 19 May. 2024, https://doi.org/10.26650/senectus.2023.1.2.0013


Harvard: Author-Date Style

Akan, E. (2023) ‘Design of Institutional Elderly Living Spaces in the Context of the Aging of Society and the Housing Problems in Old Age’, Senectus, 1(2), pp. 145-184. https://doi.org/10.26650/senectus.2023.1.2.0013 (19 May. 2024).


MLA

Akan, Esra,. “Design of Institutional Elderly Living Spaces in the Context of the Aging of Society and the Housing Problems in Old Age.” Senectus, vol. 1, no. 2, 2023, pp. 145-184. [Database Container], https://doi.org/10.26650/senectus.2023.1.2.0013


Vancouver

Akan E. Design of Institutional Elderly Living Spaces in the Context of the Aging of Society and the Housing Problems in Old Age. Senectus [Internet]. 19 May. 2024 [cited 19 May. 2024];1(2):145-184. Available from: https://doi.org/10.26650/senectus.2023.1.2.0013 doi: 10.26650/senectus.2023.1.2.0013


ISNAD

Akan, Esra. “Design of Institutional Elderly Living Spaces in the Context of the Aging of Society and the Housing Problems in Old Age”. Senectus 1/2 (May. 2024): 145-184. https://doi.org/10.26650/senectus.2023.1.2.0013



TIMELINE


Submitted02.05.2023
Accepted28.07.2023
Published Online27.08.2023

LICENCE


Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC)

This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work non-commercially, and although their new works must also acknowledge you and be non-commercial, they don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.


SHARE




Istanbul University Press aims to contribute to the dissemination of ever growing scientific knowledge through publication of high quality scientific journals and books in accordance with the international publishing standards and ethics. Istanbul University Press follows an open access, non-commercial, scholarly publishing.