社會網絡理念與機構式老人居住空間設計

A Network Approach to the Design of Residential Institutions for the Elderly

劉麗雯(Li-Wen Liu) ； 關華山(Hwa-San Kwan)

《當代社會工作學刊》 4期 (2001/11) Pp. 56-92

摘要

研究指出老人的需求是相當多元的，除了經濟、安全、醫療等重要需求，心理與社會適應、休閒社交、以及家庭關係的維繫等等皆是老人希望達到滿足的需求。其中，對於居住在安養、照護機構的老人如何滿足其心理性以及社會性需求更是相當重要的議題。若干研究建議老人可藉由人際互動網絡的建立，以提供老人必要的社會支持，此對老人的心理、社會適應，以及生活滿意度等皆有潛在的正向功能。然而，誠如若干研究所述，老年人由於健康或生理老化問題，居住空間的安排常影響著其與社區的互動、以及人際網絡建構的機會。本文從「社會網絡」的支持住功能論起，初步嘗試發展出結合「空間」的「社會行為境設網絡」概念，希望提供包括建築與社會工作界等不同行業在老人安養機構空間設計與管理上的一個不同思考層面。除了概念闡述，本文並選擇台北市三所或具廣闊庭園式、或屬高樓層公寓式的老人安養機構做較深入的實地觀察與訪談，以檢証機構式老人居住空間對其社會生活網絡的可能影響。研究結果指出物理空間隱含著人際互動的潛在機能，而空間本身的靜態與中性特質如何被使用與管理，則成為能否活化空間、創造老人人際互動機會、與建構社會網絡的重要關鍵。本文強調未來在老人居住空間的設計、使用、以及管理上，必須將網絡理念融入，納入老人心理、社會、與文化特質的考量，藉以構築一個能藉著空間傳承強化人際互動與支持網絡功能的老人居住環境。

並列摘要

Gerontologists have documented that older people are often confronted with social, psychological, or physical problems. This may be particularly problematic in the case of older people who live in residential institutions. Research suggests that many of the needs of older people may be met by strengthening their personal networks and extending their social interactions to both within their residence and with the outside community as well. In this article we suggest that the spatial arrangement of institutions affects the opportunities and patterns of the social interactions of older people. Unfortunately, the structure of physical spaces of residential institutions often emphasizes on security but pays little attention to its influences on social relationships.While the concept of social networks is not new, its application to the field of designing residential spaces for the elderly has not yet been fully recognized. This artic1e attempts to build bridges between environmental settings and social interactions through examination of the theoretical and empirical implications of the concept of social networks. The article includes empirical examples and provides some testing dimensions for further studies in this field.