The Happy Home: Ageing, Migration, and Housing in Relation to Older Migrants’ Subjective Wellbeing

Abstract

(1) Background: With an increasingly diversifying ageing population, it is important to understand what ‘ageing well’ means to older adults with a migration background. Given older adults’ preference to age in place and declining mobility, housing is a significant place in later life. Therefore, this paper explores the influence of housing, migration, and age on older migrants’ subjective wellbeing, with attention to immaterial aspects such as a sense of home as well. (2) Methods: In-depth interviews with older migrants from various ethnicities (N = 22) were conducted. The data collection and analysis were led by an inductive and deductive approach through thematic analysis. (3) Results: The results point to the dynamic nature of age(ing) and the role of migration background in the subjective wellbeing of older migrants. The need for preserving one’s housing situation and environmental mastery in later life is highlighted. Furthermore, the relation and mutual influence of subjective wellbeing and sense of home is uncovered. (4) Conclusions: This study highlights the intersection of age, migration, and housing to the subjective wellbeing and sense of home of older migrants. In addition, influences on older migrants’ subjective wellbeing concern both a material (i.e., housing) and immaterial (i.e., sense of home, age, migration) base.

Exploring older migrants’ meaning-making of ‘happiness’: “ The main thing is health. Young people might say otherwise.”

“…Due to labour migration, former Belgian mining municipalities have a high share of older adults with a migration background (i.e., 1st and 2nd generation migrants aged 60 and older). Therefore, it is important to gain insight into the housing needs and well-being of older adults with a migration background (or: older migrants) (Phlix et al, 2023a ). To explore such questions, researchers should be mindful of cultural variances in older migrants’ meaning-making of happiness as its meaning is culture-dependent and can vary across cultures, individuals, and nations (Diener et al, 2018 ; Oishi & Gilbert, 2016 ; Shin et al, 2018 ).…”