Abstract/Summary

This paper puts forward the view that an important aspect of ‘homeliness’ is the capacity for the home to act as somewhere you leave, and not only somewhere to reside. As a result of conversations with a group of older people, based on their own priorities and in their own words, we describe some of their perceptions of the home. This includes a view that the home loses its significance as a personal statement, or a reflection of identity, and becomes more important as a base for planning activities outside the immediate confines of the house. With the onset of old age and its consequent limitations in loss of mobility and energy, the difficulties of going beyond the doorstep become more apparent. Despite this, our participants were determined to maintain social and environmental contacts, switching their perspective away from the interior of the home and to the world outside.