Environmental sustainability and the residential environment of the elderly: A literature review

The incorporation of environmental sustainability into the development of older adults' residential environment has attracted much research attention. However, an in-depth review of related studies is still lacking, which hinders stakeholders' in-depth understanding of the field. To address this research gap, the study used the qualitative content analysis method to review 54 historical explorations in the field. It was found that there has been increased research interest in the field since 2011. Additionally, four main research topics were identified, including Energy consumption, efficiency, and management, Environmental sustainability in institutional environment, Application of sustainable technologies, and Sustainable home modifications. Moreover, a research framework was proposed to depict the research topics, research gaps, and future research directions in the field. The research enhances stakeholders' understanding about the environmental sustainability of older people's residential environment, which facilitates the creation of sustainable living environment for them. It also highlights the research gaps, which promotes the future explorations in the field.