Others, who are perhaps a little older and beginning to feel the effects of older age and the onset of related health conditions, prefer retirement communities. Here they can retain a relatively independent life for as long as possible, while still having access to health, transport, meals, and other assisting services they might need.
In terms of housing, a number of options have therefore begun to evolve for older people who prefer not to enter institutional care if they can avoid it. It is therefore important for agencies and professionals who work with older people to establish which the best fit would be for each individual client involved. Not all older people, for example, can afford assisted care, as this tends to be towards the more expensive end of the market.
Another important component of environmental fit is transport. Transport, to an older person, could mean various things. Most importantly, it means the difference between isolation and connection in terms of the wider social environment. As people grow older, for example, they lose the ability to drive either in terms of capacity or funding. As such, many older people rely on the public transport system to ensure their social environment fit. These systems then also need to be set up in such a way as to assist older people who wish to continue interacting with their world (Niles-Yokum and Wagner, 2011, p. 151).
Closely related to the ideal of environmental fit is the way in which older people are prepared for disaster. Often, this sector of society is forgotten when the violence of nature begins to strike. Since many older people are frail to begin with, they are particularly at risk during times of natural disaster and environmental upheaval. According to Niles-Yokum and Wagner (2011, p. 178), this is only beginning to enjoy research attention. Research is, however, a good starting point for existing assisting agencies to become involved and aware of the need in this regard.
One example of such an agency is NAIPC (2012), an agency that exists to provide older people with services to assist them to adjust to their environment and to establish...
The company operates from a premise of "aging in place," and hence offering older people services to ensure that they live as comfortably as possible during their later years. Included in services such as money management, education about the law, and home accessibility consultants, the agency also offers emergency response services that are particularly targeted to help older people survive and recover from emergency situations. The agency therefore provides integrated services to target all the needs of older people in terms of environmental fit.
Another significant component of environmental fit is the workplace. Many older people, especially when they reach retirement age, do not feel that they are ready to leave the job market. Because of subtle age discrimination in many work places, however, these employees might find that their existing workplaces are no longer a good fit for them. For this reason, placement agencies such as NOWCC (2011) exist to provide older people with the opportunity to find and establish a friendly and effective workplace situation. People who are placed by this agency can then continue to feel that they function as part of an effective workforce.
In conclusion, it is clear that a large amount of research is still needed to ensure that older people fit well and effectively into the environments where they work, live, and function on a daily basis. It is encouraging that so many agencies already exist on both a national and local level that focus on providing such services. Old age should be a time of comfort and happiness. With the correct environmental fit, this can be achieved.
References
American Society for Interior Designers. (2012). Design for Aging. Retrieved from: http://www.asid.org/designknowledge/aa/inplace/
NAIPC. (2012). Age in Place. Retrieved from: http://www.ageinplace.org/
Niles-Yokum, K. And Wagner, D.L. (2011). The Aging Networks: A Guide to Programs and Services. New York: Springer Publishing Co.
NOWCC. (2011). National Older Worker Career Center. Retrieved from: http://www.nowcc.org/home
