The paradigm of aging in place represents, on the one hand, policies that strive for aging in a home environment instead of institutionalization and are based on an increased social participation and overall wellbeing of the elderly. On the other hand, the term means a research basis for studying the connection between the old and their physical and social environment, and the consequences that ageing at home has for their general well-being. The life of the elderly is for most centered around their living space, which we call home, and it is therefore particularly important how they experience it and what it means to them. The thesis conceptually sets out an overview of theories and paradigms of age and aging, theories about the importance of home and the meaning of home in old age. In the empirical part of the thesis I use a qualitative technique of a deep interview among 9 Slovenian elders to try to see how they experience home and what it means to them. The results of the interviews and the theory indicate an extraordinary attachment to the home and many of the meanings that it has for the elderly. In the light of aging in place, the importance of home is definitely of utmost importance since the basis of the paradigm is the relationship between the individual and his/her living environment. Theoretical contributions and research, as well as the results of the interviews conducted, suggest that the topic is very complex, and that it goes beyond the field of sociology. The thesis is an attempt to review the basics that build the concept and serve for its broader understanding, and an outline of the relationship between the interviewees, their home and its meaning.
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