2026-04-13T18:22:30Zhttps://recercat.cat/oai/request

oai:recercat.cat:2445/2285192026-04-08T13:28:19Zcom_2072_1057col_2072_478917col_2072_478935

“There’s no place like home, but…”: dependent older adults’ narratives on the health and well-being limits of ageing in place Escapa, Sandra Julià, Anna Marí-Klose, Marga Cursach Perona, Maria Gallo de Puelles, Pedro Envelliment Benestar social Assistència a les persones grans Aging Public welfare Old age assistance Background: In ageing societies, understanding the lived experiences of dependentolder adults is essential for designing care policies that support health, dignity, andwell-being. While ageing in place is widely promoted, less is known about howdependent older adults themselves define its limits.Aim: This study examines how dependent older adults describe the conditions underwhich ageing in place supports—or undermines— their dignity and quality of life. Methods: We conducted 30 in-depth interviews with individuals aged 65 and older inBarcelona, Spain, all officially recognized as having some degree of dependency. Interviewswere analysed using a thematic approach, according to environmental gerontology andperson–environment fit frameworks. Results: Ageing in place emerged not as a fixed preference but as a fragile and continu-ously negotiated process of the person-place relationship. Remaining at home is sustainedby symbolic autonomy and attachment to familiar environments, supporting control overdaily routines and a sense of dignity. At the same time, participants described a state ofcare liminality, continuously reassessing their ability to remain at home in light of antici-pated health decline. Three interconnected boundaries emerged: deteriorating health,perceived burden on family members, and loneliness. Conclusions: Ageing in place among dependent older adults should be understood asa conditional and relational process rather than a universal ideal. Recognising olderadults’ own definitions of its limits is essential for designing responsive care policies. 2026-03-26T11:12:15Z 2026-03-26T11:12:15Z 2026-03-19 2026-03-26T11:12:15Z info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Reproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2026.2647084 2026, vol. 21, num.1 https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2026.2647084 cc-by (c) Escapa, S. et al., 2026 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Articles publicats en revistes (Sociologia)