Neighborhood Characteristics and Quality of Life (QoL) of Older Adults: A Qualitative Exploration from the Perspective of Indian Older Adults (Case Study of Kolkata, India)

Population ageing combined with the disintegration of the traditional family structure is leading to increased vulnerability of the older adults, especially in the Southeast Asian countries like India. With decline in physical abilities, the older adults limit their daily activities to the peripheries of their familiar residential environment. Though the Indian older adults vary significantly in their perspective to life and ageing from their western counterparts, explorations of neighborhood parameters required for the well-being of the older adults have been limited in the Indian context. Though recent studies on Indian older adults reveal the emergence of groups of older adults with belief in independence and active ageing, a majority of the older adults in India still hold on to traditional beliefs systems like intergenerational inter-dependence, and disengagement in old age. Since the aim of the present study is to understand the link between neighborhood features and the overall QoL from a holistic approach, the study adopts the qualitative research technique which allows the freedom to explore the concept from varied perspectives. The study collects data through discussions with 83 older adults divided in in nine groups residing in nine different neighborhoods in Kolkata, India. The technique of content analysis was then conducted on the findings from focus group discussions to identify a holistic list of activities and their associated neighborhood infrastructure and attributes, perceived to contribute to the QoL domains of Indian older adults. The findings of this study can be useful to policy makers in formulating design guidelines for the built environment in order to cater to the overall QoL of the older adults.