本研究從一動態觀點探討處於生命週期末端老人的居住安排的長期趨勢與轉變之影響因素。研究資料來自行政院衛生署國民健康局於1989年至1999年間舉辦的四次「台灣地區中老年身心社會生活狀況長期追蹤調查」資料，研究樣本爲3,893位居住於社區中年滿60歲的老人。研究結果顯示：與已婚子女同住仍是我國老人最偏好且最穩定的居住模式，顯示我國多數老人係以「預期事件」爲居住安排的主要考量，預期透過家庭結構的擴大因應生命週期末端可能發生的風險事故；但原本選擇「獨居」或「僅與配偶同住者」的居住模式則受到「突發事件」影響較大，也就是面臨喪偶或當其工具性生活自理能力(IADLs)喪失等生命週期重大事件時，老人居住安排模式變動的可能性隨之增加；顯示運用貫時性追蹤資料確可掌握婚姻狀況「變化」及健康變項對居住安排模式及轉變的影響，換言之，老人生命週期重要事件的發生對居住安排的影響確實不可忽視。
In this study, I used a dynamic approach to investigate factors that influence the status of and changes in living arrangements among elderly people approaching the end of life. The data source was a nationwide survey of over 3,893 Taiwanese residents above 60 years of age, conducted in 1989, 1993, 1996, and 1999 by Executive Yuan of the National Institute of Family Planning of the Taiwanese Department of Health. The results show that living with their married children was the most common living arrangement for aging people in Taiwan; this decision may result from their concern about becoming sick or disabled over time. They tried to overcome these risks by enlarging the family structure. Due to coincidental factors such as the loss of an IADL, only those people who lived alone or with their spouse sought to engage healthcare resources by changing their living arrangement. On the other hand, elderly people in the United States change their living arrangements only when their ADL disabilities become quite serious. This contrast indicates that elderly people in Taiwan react sooner than elderly people in the United States to changes in their health.
