Introduction

The focus of this book is on how space and place affect older persons, their families and those involved in services and care. The emphasis is on the diversity of views and the range of relationships and influences space and place have, very broadly defined. These topics are becoming increasingly recognised by policymakers, planners, service providers and older persons themselves. In particular, it will be evident that ageing and place very much impact on older persons’ quality of life and the opportunities for them to achieve goals such as successful and active ageing. The contributors to this book, as outlined below, also adopt very broad perspectives on the topic, and the research themes and disciplines included go well beyond the traditional boundaries of geography. Indeed, mirroring this, the authors come from geography, sociology, environmental psychology, architecture, policy studies, nursing, medicine, public health and social work research. Many of the authors may equally recognise themselves, and be recognised as, social gerontologists who engage in a multi-disciplinary field of study that has grown globally to become the prime forum for social research on ageing. It is quite clear that research on the complex relationships between ageing, space and place is certainly not the preserve of human geography, however broad the discipline may be today. Ageing and Place as a concept and as the title for this book therefore naturally and adequately summarises a substantial and a multi-disciplinary field of research in which geographical perspectives do still play an important part.