Kontakt 2012, 14(3):331-339 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2012.035
Selected aspects of the quality of life of seniors from the questionnaire WHOQOL-OLD - death, dying and close relationshipsHealth and Social Sciences - Original article
- Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích, Zdravotně sociální fakulta, katedra sociální práce
The article presents partial results of a research project focused on subjective perceiving of the quality of life of seniors in seniors' homes. The data were accumulated with the help of the World Health Organization standardized questionnaire - WHOQOL-OLD. The questions in this questionnaire are divided into six areas (domains) delimiting aspects of the quality of life. The text presented here shows selected results of the research associated with the domains death and dying and close relationships.
The research group (N1 = 156) included seniors from seniors' homes in the South-Bohemian Region, who were aged above 60 years, willing to cooperate and having cognitive functions saved to the extent providing they ability to answer the questionnaire items with an assistance. A research sample selected based on the same criteria was used as a control research group (N2 = 74), in which the respondents were alumni of the University of the Third Age U3A and lived in home environment.
The target of the research was to identify the effects on the quality of life of perceiving a) the death and dying and b) close relationships in seniors living in seniors' homes.
In terms of the domain death and dying, the results suggest that men from the University of the Third Age consider their quality of life higher compared to men from seniors' homes and furthermore that in women the quality of life in this domain is considered higher compared to men. In the domain of close relationships, women from seniors' homes consider the quality of their life lower compared to women in the group from the University of the Third Age. Seniors in the age group 80 to 85 years consider the quality of their life higher than those in the age group under 70 years. In the domain close relationships (p = 0.024) childless seniors consider their quality of life worse compared to seniors having children. Those who live in a partner relationship consider their quality of life higher compared those living without partners; a higher quality of life is also considered by widowers/widows compared to respondents without partners, and in respondents living in partner relationships, the quality of life appears to be higher compared to divorced ones.
The use of the results can be in a possibility of increasing the quality of providing seniors with services.
Keywords: senior; seniors' home; death; dying; close relationships
Received: January 25, 2012; Accepted: May 11, 2012; Published: September 27, 2012 Show citation
References
- Bužgová R (2011). Hodnocení psychosociálních potřeb terminálně nemocných. Kontakt. České Budějovice, JU ZSF, roč. 13, č. 3. ISSN 1212-4117.
Go to original source... - Cesta domů. [online]. [cit. 2012-01-08]. Hospicové občanské sdružení Cesta domů. Dostupné z: http://www.cestadomu.cz/
- Dragomirecká E, Prajsová J (2009). WHOQOL-OLD - Příručka pro uživatele české verze dotazníku Světové zdravotnické organizace pro měření kvality života ve vyšším věku. Praha: Psychiatrické centrum. ISBN 978-80-87142-05-9.
- Halečka T (2001). Kvalita života ako pojem a problém sociálnej politiky a sociálnej práce. Práca a sociálna politika, roč. 9, č. 12. ISSN 1210-5643.
- Haškovcová H (1975). Rub života, líc smrti. Praha: Orbis, s. 20.
- Haškovcová H (2000). Thanatologie. Nauka o umírání a smrti. Praha: Galén, s. 191. ISBN 80-7262-034-7.
- Kalvach Z (2004). Zdravotní a funkční stav ve stáří. Geriatrie a gerontologie. Praha: Grada, s. 864. ISBN 80-247-0548-6.
- Karsten H (2006). Ženy - muži: genderové role, jejich původ a vývoj. Praha: Portál, s. 184. ISBN 80-7367-145-X.
- Křivohlavý J (2002). Psychologie nemoci. Praha: Grada, s. 198. ISBN 80-247-0179-0.
- Kübler-Rossová E (1992). Hovory s umírajícími. Hradec Králové: Signum unitatis, s. 135. ISBN 80-85439-04-2.
- Kuchařová V, Rabušic L, Ehrenbergerová L (2002). Život ve stáří. Zpráva o výsledcích empirického šetření. Praha: MPSV, s. 89.
- Munzarová M (2002). Úvod do studia lékařské etiky a bioetiky. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, s. 44. ISBN 80-210-3018-6.
- Ram Dass (2000). Stále tady. Přijímání stárnutí, změn a smrti. Praha: Pragma, s. 199. ISBN 80-7205-882-7.
- Říčan P (2004). Cesta životem: vývojová psychologie. Praha: Portál, s. 390. ISBN 80-7367-124-7.
- Skopalová J (2010). O smrti a umírání. Sociální práce/Sociálna práca. Brno: ASVSP, 2: 160. ISSN 1213-6204.
- Trzesniewski KH, Donnellan MB, Robins RW (2003). Stability od self-esteem across the life span. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 84/1: 205-220. ISSN 0022-3514. Go to original source...
Go to PubMed... - Vágnerová M (2007). Vývojová psychologie II. Praha: Karolinum, s. 461. ISBN 97-8802-4613-185.
- Vohralíková L, Rabušic L (2004). Čeští senioři včera, dnes a zítra. Praha: VÚPSV, s. 90. Výzkumné zprávy.
- Vymětal J (2003). Lékařská psychologie. Praha: Portál, s. 397. ISBN 80-7178-740-X.
- WHOQOL Group (1993). Study protocol for the World Health Organization project to develop a Quality of Life assessment instrument (WHOQOL). Quality of Life Research. Springer Netherlands, no. 2. ISSN 0962-9343. Go to original source...