The Living Arrangements of Older Residents: The Role of Gender, Marital Status, Age, and Family Size

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis paper reports findings from a study of 400 community-dwelling persons aged 65 and over. The stratified random sample resides in a city in Ontario, Canada, with a population of 260,000. A profile of their living arrangements is presented and then analysed with respect to respondent characteristics. Each of gender, marital status, and age are related to living arrangements at statistically significant levels, but control analyses indicate that gender is the most salient respondent characteristic. The authors argue that these observed gender differences in living arrangements are a reflection of sex role differences in today's older population. To the extent that these roles change, so too will the living arrangements of men and women. For both the present and future, differences by gender must be taken into account in housing and income policies.