Stories about the Ageing Process of Tongji Village A Pilot Study of Ageing and Design Innovation

There are more and more empty-nested elderly in China, and they need to maintain independent living with support from the family and the community. We discussed the meaning of independence in later life and the crucial dimensions of independence. Interviews were conducted with 51 older persons living in Tongji Village whose ageing population reached more than 30%, to understand the independent living requirements from older people’s perspective. Physical capabilities, typical problems in daily living, and life styles were discussed, which offers insights into how to improve independence in later life for older people living in communities.