Housing Decisions in Later Life

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

   PDF

2. Houses and People: The Construction of Living Arrangements

   • Roger Clough, Mary Leamy, Vince Miller, Les Bright

   Pages 1-27

3. Telling Older People’s Housing Stories

   • Roger Clough, Mary Leamy, Vince Miller, Les Bright

   Pages 28-44

4. Housing Decisions in Later Life

   • Roger Clough, Mary Leamy, Vince Miller, Les Bright

   Pages 45-67

5. Understanding Housing Decisions

   • Roger Clough, Mary Leamy, Vince Miller, Les Bright

   Pages 68-86

6. Attachments to Home

   • Roger Clough, Mary Leamy, Vince Miller, Les Bright

   Pages 87-108

7. Worried Lives

   • Roger Clough, Mary Leamy, Vince Miller, Les Bright

   Pages 109-127

8. The ‘looking glass self’

   • Roger Clough, Mary Leamy, Vince Miller, Les Bright

   Pages 128-155

9. Preferences in Living Arrangements

   • Roger Clough, Mary Leamy, Vince Miller, Les Bright

   Pages 156-177

10. Theory, Policy and Practice

    • Roger Clough, Mary Leamy, Vince Miller, Les Bright

    Pages 178-206

11. Back Matter

    Pages 207-255

    PDF

This book examines the processes by which older people make housing decisions and the impact such decisions have on the construction of their lives. Evidence is included from a major three-year research study, where older people told stories of their lives. The authors argue that housing decisions are not necessarily the result of rational, analytical and objective thinking. The contribution of other ways of decision-making is often hidden, as when people think intuitively, act impulsively, or for essentially emotional reasons.

• decision-making
• emotion
• interview
• press
• research

'This book will clearly be important to housing providers and policy makers, as well as those interested in the intricacies of participatory research. There is a wider audience too as most of us will be facing these stark choices ourselves sooner or later, so we might want to exert a bit of influence now!' - Terry Allen, Social Policy

• Eskrigge Social Research, UK

  Roger Clough

• Department of Psychology, University of Teesside, UK

  Mary Leamy

• Department of Sociology, University of Kent, UK

  Vince Miller

• Independent Consultant, UK

  Les Bright

ROGER CLOUGH is Emeritus Professor of Social Care at Lancaster University, UK. Now an independent researcher, he has written extensively on ageing, residential homes, inspection and abuse. His previous publications include The Practice of Residential Work.

MARY LEAMY is Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Teesside, UK

VINCE MILLER is Lecturer in Sociology, University of Kent, UK

LES BRIGHT has worked for voluntary organisations and social services. He is now an independent consultant specialising in older people's issues.

All four authors (with L Brooks) have written Homing in on Housing.

Policies and ethics