Place Attachment and Social Support at Continuing Care Retirement Communities

Abstract

Among the major prerequisites for successful transition to a retirement community are the development of attachment to place and the formation of strong social ties. The authors examined the role of physical features in a retirement community in fostering place attachment and socially supportive networks among a group of new residents. Elderly residents who lived in closer walking distance to the central activity building, who had smaller functional distances from their neighbors, and who shared nearby, enclosed, outdoor garden spaces felt more attached. Social support was positively associated with smaller functional distances and proximity to the central building.