Stephen Golant, Ph.D., a professor emeritus at the University of Florida, in his white paper, “As Perceived Distance To Death Shrinks, The Desire To Age In Place Grows,” helps explain why many older adults are reluctant to move from their homes to long-term-care facilities as their health and mobility decline.
He explains that instead of viewing their homes as less desirable because of declining health and mobility, they are incentivized to age in place as they recognize that they have a limited amount of time to live. In the white paper, Goland cites the socioemotional selectivity theory, which maintains that as time horizons shrink, people become increasingly selective and prefer to invest greater resources in emotionally meaningful activities.
Understanding this decision-making process is important when developing care regimens and activities for at-home care, Golant writes.
