PATTERNS OF COMPETENCE AND HOUSING CONDIT IONS - SOME EMPIRICAL RESULTS FROM THE STUDY CHANCES AND LIMITS OF INDEPENDENT LIVING IN OLD-AGE

In a study on the chances and limits of independent living in old age, we collected data about difficulties in 23 activities of daily living in two sub-samples: participants from the western part of Germany (n = 745), and from the eastern part of Germany (n = 347). Participants w ere grouped into three patterns of competence by means of cluster anal ysis. Cluster analyses were calculated separately for participants in the western and eastern parts of Germany. In both sub-samples, we foun d three patterns of competence: ''High competence in most activities o f daily living'', ''reduced competence in some activities of daily liv ing'' and ''reduced competence in most activities of daily living''. P atterns of competence were similar in the sub-samples, but important d ifferences were found in some activities of daily living between parti cipants from the eastern and western parts of Germany (e.g., in ''heat ing home,'' ''washing clothes,'' ''banking''). These differences were due to unfavorable conditions in physical environment. Analysis of the relationship between objective housing conditions (assessed by our re search team) and patterns of competence strongly supported this interp retation. Participants in the two sub-samples were more satisfied with their housing conditions as could be expected from our assessment of housing conditions. Successful adaptation to environmental conditions and changes in the aspiration-level can explain these differences. The degree of satisfaction with housing conditions is only a poor predica tor for possibilities in increasing competence by intervention and reh abilitation. Most participants wished to keep their household independ ently as long as possible. Acceptance for homes for the elderly was lo w.