Motivators, resources and barriers in voluntary international migration of the elderly: The case of Israel-bound aged.

A conceptual model was developed and tested to identify personal and situational factors which differentiate successful from unsuccessful planners of voluntary long-distance moves among the elderly. Potential migrants to Israel were identified at their point of origin and followed-up to ascertain whether they actually moved. This group generally shared a desire for a more challenging lifestyle and for opportunities to help others. A comparison group of movers (N = 97) revealed that 'push' and 'pull' factors in the environment of destination were far more important in differentiating these two groups than were factors in the environment of origin. Attachments, personal ties and familiarity with the new environment also emerged as significant predictors of moving. Selective evaluations of advantages of the new environment and obstacles to the move also differentiated movers from non-movers. Being married and in good health served as useful resources to facilitate the move. ka]Key Words kb]cross-national migration kb]voluntary relocation kb]elderly migration kb]migrant characteristics kb]environments kb]migration.