title: Consumer views about aging-in-place.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Supporting older people's choices to live safely and independently in the community (age-in-place) can maximize their quality of life and minimize unnecessary hospitalizations and residential care placement. Little is known of the views of older people about the aging-in-place process, and how they approach and prioritize the support they require to live in the community accommodation of their choice.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore and synthesize the experiences and perspectives of older people planning for and experiencing aging-in-place.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two purposively sampled groups of community-dwelling people aged 65+ years were recruited for individual interviews or focus groups. The interviews were semistructured, audio-recorded, and transcribed. Themes were identified by three researchers working independently, then in consort, using a qualitative thematic analysis approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-two participants provided a range of insights about, and strategies for, aging-in-place. Thematic saturation was reached before the final interviews. We identified personal characteristics (resilience, adaptability, and independence) and key elements of successful aging-in-place, summarized in the acronym HIPFACTS: health, information, practical assistance, finance, activity (physical and mental), company (family, friends, neighbors, pets), transport, and safety.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This paper presents rich, and rarely heard, older people's views about how they and their peers perceive, characterize, and address changes in their capacity to live independently and safely in the community. Participants identified relatively simple, low-cost, and effective supports to enable them to adapt to change, while retaining independence and resilience. The findings highlighted how successful aging-in-place requires integrated, responsive, and accessible primary health and community services.
authors.affiliation: International Center for Allied Health Evidence, Sansom Institute, City East Campus, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grimmer
authors.affiliation: International Center for Allied Health Evidence, Sansom Institute, City East Campus, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.affiliation: International Center for Allied Health Evidence, Sansom Institute, City East Campus, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Foot
authors.affiliation: International Center for Allied Health Evidence, Sansom Institute, City East Campus, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Khushnum
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pastakia
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living / Q000523:psychology*; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012449:Safety; D012944:Social Support; D013021:South Australia; D014186:Transportation
keywords: aging-in-place; functional decline; independence; qualitative research