ABSTRACT
Due to cultural and historical factors, the focus is on the experiences of countries in Western Europe and North America. Western Europe and North America, despite the many options and/or alternatives in addressing housing and service issues for the elderly, essentially reflect only two basic approaches, that of the provision of specialized facilities through purposeful design, construction and operation or provision of support services as a way of dealing with changing needs and maintaining people in the community. Specialized housing facilities had a number of very positive features includes concentrations of people to provide a critical mass for service delivery; a concentrated number of residents that were proximitous and easily accessible for friendship formation and social support to replace friends and significant others lost through illness and death. It also allows persons with limited incomes access to quality housing and created many opportunities for public and private agencies.
