• KIEAE Journal
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.9-18
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• 2010

As an aging population has increased vastly and nuclear families have been a dominating family type in modern Korean society, the numbers of the elderly who suffer Empty Nest Syndrome and LID (Loss Isolation Depression) syndrome have been accelerated. These syndromes involve psychological instability, melancholy, and lethargy. To make the elderly get out of this phenomenon and live actively, the scheme of converting their existing house into shared housing was set as a hypothetical solution in this study. This study sets out to find out responses of the elderly to alter their own house's function in housing improvement area. A Small Workshop Panel method was used and the elderly aged 55 years upwards took part and they own a detached house in a housing improvement area that is relatively large for the elderly or the elderly couple to live alone. Through the workshop, problems that the elderly have been experiencing within their houses were looked into and responses of the elderly on altering their house to shared housing by introducing developed schematic plans. Although, the first response was negative, positive responses from the house owners were carried out when a visual support i.e. developed shared housing plan was provided. The positive response was based on the fact that subsidies from the government on house renovation and tenants matching programs are supported as shared housing could provide home owners economical support with rents and help them to feel less lonely. This is a way of relieving the elderly from being neglected and supporting them to live and age actively in their later lives. Furthermore, by providing a visual media to the elder residents in housing improvement area, their greater understandings on the development and addressing their opinions were possible. Therefore, more tools that promote elder residents' participation are needed for future housing improvement projects and an aging society.