Housing and Planning Supporting Healthy Aging

The homes and communities in which people live are important determinants of health, influencing opportunities for healthy behaviors and social engagement; limiting exposure to physical risks, toxins, and stressors; and determining access to services and healthcare. For older adults, living environments are critical to healthy aging; these are the locations where older people spend the majority of their time, and the characteristics of homes, neighborhoods, and communities can help people manage or avoid functional limitations, disabilities, and chronic disease - or exacerbate them.