Older women with a low pension, living in Sweden: Strategies to age in place and thoughts about future housing

ABSTRACT

Financial security influences good quality housing, health, and longevity, but few recent studies of the financial aspects of aging in place have been published. We explored strategies used to age in place and thoughts about future housing among women aged 65 and older living with a low pension in Sweden. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 13 women aged 65 and older with a low pension, followed by thematic analysis. Three themes were generated. “Adjusting to a low pension” explains that most participants needed to supplement their pension with savings or earnings to afford housing and living costs. “The home as a home – and an asset” explains that relocating or renting out the property were common strategies that could raise money to supplement their pension. “Thoughts about the future (home)” explains that most participants preferred to age in place, but pragmatic considerations about potential housing costs, housing type, housing locality, safety, and security were expressed. In addition to the need for further research on this topic, our findings have implications for community planning and can be used to inform pension and housing policies in Sweden and countries with similar welfare systems.

KEYWORDS:

• Older adults
• retirement
• low pension
• housing
• residential reasoning

Acknowledgments

We thank professor Håkan Jönson, Lund University, for supervising Ph.D. student A. Yadav (first author). Thanks also to the research assistant, Ph.D. Lizette Norin, for contributing to the data collection.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Author contributions

The second author designed the study, obtained ethical approval, and collected the data aided by a research assistant. The first and second authors drafted the manuscript, designed the analysis, and analyzed the data. Providing critical input and text optimization, the last author contributed to the iterative revision of the manuscript. All authors contributed to and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Ethics

The Swedish Ethical Review Authority approved the study (Ref. no. 2019–02870). Written informed consent was given before the data collection started.

Additional information

Funding

This study was conducted within the context of the Centre for Ageing and Supportive Environments (CASE) context, Lund University. The study was supported by the Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development (FORMAS) under the grant (RF: 942-2015-403), the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (Forte) under the grant (RF: 2018-01793), and the Ribbingska Foundation in Lund, Sweden.

Notes on contributors

Agata Yadav

Agata Yadav is a Registered Occupational Therapist and Nurse. Since January 2020 working as a Ph.D.- student at the Active and Healthy Ageing research group at Lund University, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine.

Marianne Granbom

Marianne Granbom is a Senior assistant researcher. Registered Occupational Therapist at Lund University, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine.

Susanne Iwarsson

Susanne Iwarsson is a Professor. Registered Occupational Therapist. Head of the Active and Healthy Ageing research group at Lund University, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine.