The impact of forced residential relocation on the health of the elderly hotel dweller.

ABSTRACT

This paper reports on a prospective study designed to assess the impact of involuntary relocation from one community setting to another on the self-perceived physical, functional, and emotional health status of older persons living in urban residential hotels. The research design was quasiexperimental and took advantage of a naturally occurring urban renewal project. Older persons (n = 38) living in five hotels marked for demolition and a randomly selected comparison group (n = 32) living in similar and contiguous hotels were interviewed 3 to 6 months prerelocation and again 3 to 6 months postrelocation. In general, there were few adverse changes in health associated with relocation as it was implemented with this population.