Relocation Intention Of Older People To Smart Retirement Village: A Conceptual Framework

Impacts of population ageing

Demographic ageing or population ageing is a type of demographic event where there is an increase in the number of older people in the population. It is one of the crucial demographic events that occurred in the 21st century (Wan-Ibrahim & Ismail, 2014). The rapid rise in the elderly population is not a new global phenomenon (Holdsworth et al., 2013). Population ageing is known as the remarkable 21st-century social transition, which will affect the society that includes financial markets and labour markets, goods and services demands for instance housing needs, healthcare, social protection and transportation. A rise in the elderly population could cause changes in economics and social to various countries, for example, more demand on healthcare, pension systems and welfare, a rise in dependency ratios, and reduced forces in labour (Pastalan, 1990).

In Malaysia, the number of older people aged above 60 years is estimated to rise up to 3.3 million in the year 2020. Department of Statistics Malaysia stated that Malaysia will experience population ageing as the population aged above 65 years hits 7.2% in 2020. Moreover, Selected Demographic Indicators Malaysia in 2018 concluded that for 65 years and above age group have a population of 2.10 million in 2018 as compared to 2.00 million in 2017. Currently, the health care system in Malaysia is focused on short-term care and hospitalization. In addition, Shannon et al. (2010) also found out that the elderly are a special population with special housing needs and aspirations. Therefore, there is an important call to add more facilities to address the needs of the elderly in Malaysia, especially in Long-Term Care provision. The aged care service delivery is complicated and requires detailed planning in Malaysia as it is a multiracial country (Lim, 2012).

Retirement village

Hu et al. (2017) stated that a retirement village can generally be defined as a community for the elderly that is well-equipped with many accommodations, service, and facility to assist the elderly needs. Living independently, institutionalization and age-friendly environment are the foremost retirement village’s characteristics (Hu et al., 2017). Retirement villages are known as “desirable and appropriate to spend one’s golden years” in Australia (Stimson & McGovern, 2002, p. 3). It is one of the factors for older people relocation decision as retirement villages can meet the needs of older people (Crisp et al., 2013). Services in retirement villages vary from food and accommodations, maintenance and repair services, features of security, transport services and medical practitioners visits (Kennedy & Coates, 2008).

Meanwhile, in Malaysia, retirement villages are considered as a newly introduced accommodation, thus most Malaysian senior aged at home rather than joining community villages. According to Ong (2002), the concept of retirement communities or retirement villages like those in the Western countries are at the beginning phase in Malaysia, thus, the demand rarely studied. The idea of retirement homes in the western countries are newly introduced in Malaysia, thus, the demands have not been studied (Ong, 2002). Currently, four retirement villages in Malaysia such as The Green Leaf and AraGreens Residence in Selangor state, Green Acres in Ipoh Perak state and Eden-on-the-Park in Kuching, Sarawak were developed.

Smart retirement village

A smart retirement village is the evolved version of retirement villages. Smart village is defined as a society with a vision of the future that includes the use of ICT in a fresh and innovative manner to empower its inhabitants, institutions and areas as a whole (Jung, 1998; Lindskog, 2005). One of the global phenomena that exist is the concept of the smart community or village (Coe et al., 2001; Lindskog, 2005). The improvisation in information communication technologies (ICTs) has made this a globally growing phenomenon (Kim et al., 2012). Harper (2003) and Kim et al. (2012) believed that to improve the quality of life, the smart paradigm should cover smart homes. Frisardi and Imbimbo (2011) viewed Smart home as a technology-equipped housing that facilitates monitoring old residents to improve quality of life and promote physical independence, in addition, to reduce caregiver burden, in their study of dementia in the context of ageing. Even though research regarding retirement villages includes abundance of issues like relocation of the residents, living experience and environment in the village, less studies has been conducted to the involvement of Internet of Things, which depicts a world of networked smart devices, in the planning process of Smart Retirement Village (SRV) establishment from the perspectives of older people.

Push-pull framework

Over the years, the combined influence of ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors have resulted in the conceptual framework used to describe relocation decisions (Bogue, 1969). As motivation is a complicated and complex phenomenon, thus it is best to be elaborated using push and pull forces. A study by Darton et al. (2011) state that the reasons for moving were classified as a push or pull factors, relating to older people's circumstances or to the benefits of extra care provided by the destination of migration. Push and pull factors were relocation purposes, which push factors are defined as circumstances pushing people apart from current house and pull factors which attract individuals to a new destination and also known as relocating or migrate encouragement (Golledge & Stimson, 1997). Table 01 below summarizes past study regarding elderly relocating to retirement villages using the push-pull framework.

In this paper, the push-pull factors will be selected based on the study according to Stimson and McCrea (2004) as the main reference for this paper. Generally, declining health and mobility are the top most cited justification for relocations during old age (Bekhet et al., 2009; Stimson & McCrea, 2004). Additional needs for more services such as health care after ageing will highly likely prompt an individual to deem retirement village as an amenity which supports living independently and providing care continuity facilities.

The Five-Factor Model of personality

The extent of whether retirement village is viewed as a suitable housing in the future might be linked to more distinctive individual characteristics such as personality. The characteristics of individuals, especially personality, that may influence relocation into retirement village living is rarely studied. Substantial research has proven that personality traits are responsible for the distinction of reactions of life events in different individuals. The five broad dimensions (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness and neuroticism) of the Five-Factor Model of Personality (Costa & McCrae, 1992) that have been linked with various significant individual, interpersonal and social outcomes (Ozer & Benet-Martinez, 2006).

By grasping how personality characteristics affect an individual’s adjustment plans in later life may stipulate the reason several older adults are prone to the retirement villages’ concept than the counterparts. A study conducted by Reis and Gold (1993) had included explanatory mechanisms of why retirement adjustment should be linked with the Big 5 Personality. They concluded that life satisfaction can be enhanced through the factor of Extraversion and Agreeableness which aids a better support network in retirement. Proactive coping in retirement is determined by Conscientiousness, involvement in new activities by Openness, while Neuroticism could cause the major retirement transition harder to cope with. Specifically, individuals having a high score in extraversion are usually defined by assertiveness and social activities participation which attract to retirement village’s social opportunities. While those high in agreeableness and conscientiousness adapt well to life events and environments that are new (Bardi & Ryff, 2007), individuals having a higher openness score enjoys experiences that are stimulating and novel (Koenig & Cunningham, 2001), possibly making them consider relocation more promptly. Therefore, it is essential to investigate whether the different personality characteristics of older people affect their future relocation intention to SRV.