Strengths of Environments of Small Areas Understood by the Elderly

Abstract

  The purpose of the study was to clarify the strengths of environments of a small region that were understood by the elderly as a basic survey to develop an integrated community-care system. In the questionnaire survey for the elderly living in a small region of about 4,000 people, the study focused on the strengths of environments that the elderly realized, and analyzed them. As a result of the analysis, 93 key sentences’ 18 subcategories and seven categories were extracted in total. The strengths of environments of a small region that the elderly living there realized were related with resources and social relationships. The strengths understood to be resources were consisted of “a convenient living environment”, and had good aspects such as “a reliable and safe townscape”, and “school zones where it is easy to raise a child”. In addition, many generations gathered in the “community center as a base for residents” and did “abundant and lively activities”. On the other hand, the strengths of social relationships realized by the elderly were “diverse connections” and “rooted territorial connections”. In conclusion, the study suggests that it is necessary to establish the integrated community care system focusing on the strengths of environments as well as individuals in the future.