Casa A(fe)tiva : ambiências promotoras para o Ageing in Place

Abstract

Population aging has long ceased to be merely statistical projections of a distant future and has become a global, evolving, and complex phenomenon that brings with it both physical and emotional challenges. The fastest growth in the elderly population is expected to occur in less developed countries—a trend reflected in Brazil’s demographic landscape. As a result, governments, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations have been working to promote strategies that support quality of life through public policies aimed at encouraging healthy aging. Architecture and urban planning, which are responsible for the design of spaces, join in a multidisciplinary manner with other fields of knowledge, contributing to the well-being of the elderly. This population, in the face of physiological changes and the functional decline intrinsic to aging, interacts in a particular way with their environments—especially residential ones—because these involve both physical and subjective aspects related to people and their surroundings.This thesis aims to reflect on residential environments for the elderly, guided by the Ageing in Place approach through a methodological framework in the form of a set of tools suited for contextual assessment and guidance in planning housing for old age. This framework is grounded in understanding the relationships between older adults and their homes, using the proposed methodology and incorporating affective listening. Both objective and subjective aspects were explored and analyzed regarding emotional relationships, place attachment, and perceptions of urban and private living environments. A literature review and bibliographic research were conducted to build the conceptual foundation, followed by data collection to better understand current realities. The city of João Pessoa, in the state of Paraíba (PB), was chosen as the area for a qualitative exploratory research, focusing on a group of elderly participants in the extension project Oficina Casa Afetiva (Affective Home Workshop), enrolled at the Paraíba Institute on Aging (Instituto Paraibano de Envelhecimento) at UFPB. This group participated in interactive workshops where tools such as a visual selection, participatory mapping, mental maps, cube-house modeling, wish poems, photographic surveys, affective listening, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews were used. Through the analysis and discussion of the tools applied during the various proposed moments with this heterogeneous group, it was found that all tools had both strengths and limitations and complemented one another. A methodological framework was proposed, comprising a set of tools — CASA A(fe)TIVA, based on the results obtained from the sample group. Despite the diversity of family arrangements and the presence of conflicting emotions, participants revealed strong emotional bonds and attachments to their living spaces, shaped by lived memories and the ambiance of their homes. These emotional ties often outweighed physical factors such as accessibility and adaptability, which were ultimately constrained by economic and financial considerations—key determinants in the feasibility of ageing in place. This directly impacts quality of life, emotional and physical well-being, comfort, safety, autonomy, and the overall well-being of older individuals, influencing planning and decision-making related to housing in old age. Further research is recommended to validate the proposed set of tools.