The Happy Home: Ageing, Migration and Housing in Relation to Older migrants’ Subjective Wellbeing.

Abstract

With an increasingly diversifying ageing population, it is important to understand what ‘ageing well’ means to older adults with a migration background. Given older adults’ preference to age in place and declining mobility, housing is a significant place in later life. Therefore, this paper explores the influence of housing, migration and age on older migrants’ subjective wellbeing. In-depth interviews with older migrants from various ethnicities (n = 22) were conducted. The data collection and analysis were led by an inductive and deductive approach through thematic analysis. The results point to the dynamic nature of age(ing) and the role of migration background in the subjective wellbeing of older migrants. The need for preserving one’s housing situation and environmental mastery in later life is high-lighted. Furthermore, the relation and mutual influence of subjective wellbeing and sense of home is uncovered. This study highlights the intersection of age, migration and housing to the subjective wellbeing and sense of home of older migrants. In addition, two other intersecting influences on older migrants’ subjective wellbeing are highlighted; homeownership and health. Also, influences on older migrants’ subjective wellbeing concern both a material (i.e., housing) and immaterial (i.e., sense of home, age, migration) base.