What constitutes a good place to age? A qualitative exploration of the concept of home in varied aging contexts

This research explores Chinese older adults’ perceptions of home in varied aging contexts and assesses the process of obtaining a feeling of home after relocation in an old age. Two sets of qualitative data were drawn for the study: one collected in Atlanta, Georgia to understand Chinese older immigrants’ home-making experiences in the U.S. The other collected in Xi’an, Shan Xi Province to delineate manifestations and pathways that lead to older people’s feelings of home in long-term care facilities in China. This research offers a full discussion of policy implications for social services and social workers, care providers and planners, state and federal government agencies, and aging policy makers at national levels.