Preparedness to Age in Place Among Older Adults in Malaysia

The rapid pace of ageing raises concerns regarding financial security, health and long-term care and place for older people to live as they age. This paper examined the factors associated with preference to age in place (AIP) among 2231 respondents aged 60 and older from the Malaysia Ageing and Retirement Survey (MARS). The Categorical Principal Component Analysis (CATPCA) was utilized to identify variables that represent family supports, social connectedness and social participation. 75% of the respondents indicated that they would like to age in place with the binary logistic regression showing a greater likelihood among respondents with strong family and social connectedness, having a spouse, being non-Chinese and being in a good health condition. Urban respondents, with a high individual capacity and social participation, are less likely to age in place. There is a need to strengthen the family institutions and communities, providing incentives and support to promote ageing in place and empower them to remain sustainable for future generations.