Geographical Mobility among Older People and Their Adult Children in Sweden: The Role of Parents’ Health Issues and Family Ties

Alena Artamonova , Väestöliitto, Population Research Institute
Maria Branden, Stockholm University and Linköping University
Brian J. Gillespie, University of Groningen
Clara H. Mulder, University of Groningen

This research examines how health problems in later life relate to older parents’ moving close to adult children, having distant children moving close, or relocating to institutionalized care; and how these relocations are structured by children’s gender and location. We focused on parents aged 80 years and older and their distant children. Multinomial logistic regression models were employed for older men and women based on data from administrative registers of Sweden. 60 per cent of all proximity-enhancing moves were made by adult children. Whereas closeness to death raised the probability of parental relocations closer to children or to institutions, it was not found to influence children’s moves towards parents. Mothers were more likely to move towards daughters or towards an adult child co-located with at least one adult sibling. Children moved closer to parents in response to their own life circumstances or if there was at least one sibling living near the parent.

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 Presented in Session P2. Poster Session Ageing, Health and Mortality