Work

Illustrating a Splatial Framework to Aging: Absolute, Relative, Relational, and Mental Space in Singapore

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Understanding the interactions between older adults and their living spaces is an important research topic within the human dynamics of geographical scholarship because of their implications on the quality of aging. The prevailing theory of aging tends to stress aging in place which associates aging well with the home and community, thus inadvertently privileging residential neighborhoods as the focal point where older adults spend most of their time. Recent studies have, however, suggested that older adults also age in (social) networks that extend beyond their neighborhoods' physical locations. The need to incorporate perspectives on aging in networks has challenged the prioritization and the enforcement of absolute (or physical) space in GIS software. This study investigates the potential for integrating four top‐level spaces (absolute, relative, relational, and mental) to capture different dimensions of older adults' everyday lives. By leveraging on a dataset of older adults in Singapore, this study demonstrates how the four spaces combined facilitates understanding of aging, specifically their activity spaces, that would otherwise be achieved in a fragmented manner.

Source: Transactions in GIS

DOI: 10.1111/tgis.13235

Authors: Chen‐Chieh Feng, Wei Chien Benny Chin, Siyao Gao, Vincent Chua, Elaine Lynn‐Ee Ho

Institutions: National University of Singapore, Asia Research Institute

Language: English

Topic: Aging, Elder Care, and Social Issues

Subfield: General Health Professions

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,620