Leisure activities in retirement housing.

Two common assertions about leisure activities in retirement housing were studied: ( I ) that residence in special retirement housing for the elderly will result in more leisure activities than will residence in conventional dispersed housing, and (2) that greater participation in leisure activities is associated with a more favorable outlook on life. Two waves of interviews were conducted with 100 residents at each of six retirement housing sites—retirement hotel, three retirement villages, apartment tower, and life-care home. Results were compared with interviews obtained from 600 matched controls living in dispersed housing. The data showed that in terms of check-list activities, clubs, and general social life, residence in two and in some instances four of the retirement housing settings was associated with more leisure activities than was residence in dispersed settings. Outlook on life in turn was associated only moderately with level of activities.