scholarly journals Quality of Elderly People’s Life in the Region of Malopolskie Voivodship

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (340) ◽  
pp. 43-56
Author(s):  
Magdalena Katarzyna Kowalska

The ageing of the population is one of the most important problems of contemporary European societies. It is assumed that, within the next two decades, the percentage of people aged 65 and older throughout the population of the European Union will increase up to 20%, and around 2060 – nearly one third of the community’s inhabitants will reach this age. Therefore, it is important for the elderly people to have proper living conditions ensured, in particular in countries such as Poland, where seniors are still marginalised and excluded from many areas of social life. The quality of life of people in the post‑working age can be determined by taking account of numerous factors. These include, above all: financial situation, living conditions, health condition, self‑esteem, and the feeling of playing a significant role for the family and for the society.The purpose of the presented study is to assess the quality of life of elderly people from the region of Malopolskie Voivodship. The analysis of the research material takes account of various aspects of this particular category, namely the quality of life, with clear focus on the so‑called subjective quality of life. Conclusions were drawn on the basis of results of the study conducted in 2015 on a group of 150 people aged 60+, living in the counties of Myślenice and Nowy Targ from the Małopolskie Voivodship.Among numerous elements that can be used to assess the quality of life, crucial importance has the determination of the degree of satisfaction of seniors on several levels: with regard to relations with family members, health condition, and the housing situation. In addition, it was deemed important to identify the attitude of the environment towards seniors, as well as indicate the needs and expectations of elderly people with regard to e.g. services and products missing from the Polish market and addressed to this age category.The research results indicate that the subjective quality of life of the examined elderly people from the two counties is on an average level. Such a conclusion may be drawn on the basis of opinions of the respondents, who are rather satisfied with contacts with the environment and, at the same time, moderately satisfied with their health condition. Furthermore, the examined seniors notice clear shortages on the Polish market within the offer of services and products addressed specifically to their age group.

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 202
Author(s):  
Natália Rodrigues Dos Reis ◽  
Leandro De Oliveira Sant'Ana ◽  
Felipe Faria Da Costa ◽  
Aline Aparecida De Souza Ribeiro ◽  
Yuri De Almeida Costa Campos ◽  
...  

Introduction: Aging is defined as a progressive process with biological, psychological and social changes. Objective: To identify the indicators of adherence, motivations and benefits perceived by elderly people in the gym for the elderly. Methods: 30 elderly (21 women) participated (67 ± 4 years; 76 ± 3 kg; 164 ± 7 cm; 28 ± 2 kg/m2). An individual interview was conducted, guided by questions related to the object of study. The data obtained were treated using the content analysis technique of the Bardin method. Results: For the adherence indicators, a better health condition (90%), quality of life (76%), quality of sleep (73%) and reduction of stress and weight (63%) were identified. For motivation the answers were to make new friends and get out of solitude (100%) as well as living with people of the same age group (95%). And the perceived benefits were pain reduction (27%), increased muscle capacity (25%), autonomy (21%), functional capacity (20%), balance (18%), flexibility (14%) and what all the individuals realized there was a significant improvement in quality of life (100%). Conclusion: The main indicators of adherence were health and quality of life, the motivational factors were to reduce loneliness and to increase social life, and among the most reported benefits were quality of life and health.Keywords: elderly gym, physical exercise, health.


2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 123-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Kapała

AbstractMy paper presents the results of a research study on the relationship between existential/spiritual resources, that is, spiritual sensitivity (a disposition to experience spirituality, manifested in the embracement of the nature of things in the transcendent and final perspective, in moral sensitivity, and the ability to find meaning in paradoxical and limiting situations), spiritual sensitivity components and subjective quality of life (a generalized attitude to one’s own life mode, in the four existential dimensions: psychophysical, psycho-social, subjective, and metaphysical). Study subjects were older adults (60+, n = 522) living in the current, dynamic, uncertain and fluid modern world conditions. The study had two phases – quantitative and qualitative (narrative interviews). To measure the phenomena, the Spiritual Sensitivity Inventory (Straś-Romanowska, Kowal, & Kapała, 2013) and the Quality of Life Questionnaire (Straś-Romanowska, Oleszkowicz, & Frąckowiak, 2004) were used. The results obtained confirmed a strong mutual relationship between spiritual resources and quality of life, also providing an answer to some questions about the nature of spiritual sensitivity, and its integrating, pro-development and pro-health role in the elderly adults’ life in the post-modern era.


Ekonomia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 85-93
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Sawicz

Comparative ana lysis of the quality of life of seniors in selected countries of the European UnionFor more than twenty years, the number of elderly people in Europe has been increasing. This process is called “the graying of the continent”. The aging of societies raises many problems of a medical, social and economic nature. On the other hand, the increase in the quality of life of seniors caused less spending on medical and social care.The article attempts to analyze the quality of life of seniors in selected countries of the European Union. The level of quality of life was examined in economic aspect. Particular attention is paid to the health of the population in selected EU country and the level of poverty. The article indicates countries with the highest quality of life of the elderly and countries in which the quality of life of seniors is low.


1997 ◽  
Vol 170 (5) ◽  
pp. 422-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Franz ◽  
Stefanie Lis ◽  
K. Plüddemann ◽  
B. Gallhofer

BackgroundThe effectiveness of anti-psychotic drugs against positive psychotic symptoms has been demonstrated in many studies, but their effects on quality of life have yet to be clarified. The impact of different neuroleptic therapies on the subjective quality of life of schizophrenic patients is evaluated in a cross-sectional open study.MethodDuring a four-month period a standardised quality of life interview for schizophrenic patients was applied on day 10 after admission; 33 patients on atypical neuroleptics (AAP) were compared with 31 matched patients on conventional neuroleptics (CAP).ResultsThe AAP group had significantly higher scores in general quality of life as well as in different life domains: physical well-being, social life and everyday life. In separate comparisons of the AAP group, patients on clozapine and risperidone were found to have a higher quality of life score than patients on CAP or zotepine.ConclusionsThe pharmacological profile of clozapine and risperidone may provide a basis for explaining the higher subjective quality of life found in this study. The lower quality of life of the CAP group may possibly be related to intrinsic effects of the conventional antipsychotics.


2003 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 178-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasia Efklides ◽  
Maria Kalaitzidou ◽  
Grace Chankin

Subjective quality of life can be defined in terms of life satisfaction (LS), subjective well-being (SWB), happiness, and morale. In our study, we investigated the effect of demographic, health, affective, and adaptation-to-old-age factors on the above attributes of subjective quality of life. The sample was comprised of 160 elderly of both genders, aged 63 to 100 years. Half of them lived in a Greek city and the rest came from a small town and nearby villages. Participants filled in questionnaires on (a) demographic information; (b) subjective perception of their health condition; (c) emotional state; (d) adaptation to old age; (e) Life Satisfaction Index A and B ( Neugarten, Havighurst, & Tobin, 1961 ). Pearson correlation and regression analyses showed that the effect of demographic and health factors was mediated by affect and adaptation-to-old-age factors. Positive affect contributed to all aspects of subjective quality of life, whereas negative affect was important for the determination of happiness and SWB. Particularly important for LS proved to be good adaptation to old age and generativity toward one's children, whereas self-control and efficacy, and downward social comparison for one's health condition contributed to morale. Having children had a significant contribution to happiness, morale, and LS but not to SWB. The results are discussed in terms of collectivist values of the Greek society.


2000 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 450-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Leiße ◽  
T.W Kallert

Following reunification in Germany in 1990 the new states in the Federal Republic faced the task of restructuring and rebuilding the structures of complementary care for the chronically mentally ill. First and foremost, residential facilities had to be established that would correspond to and meet the currently high need for de-hospitalization by making different types of care and care concepts available. Five groups of patients with chronic schizophrenic psychoses (N = 245 patients) who live in different types of psychiatric care facilities (psychiatric nursing home, social therapeutic hostel, sheltered community residence) or at home, either with or without a family network, were studied. In addition to the sociodemographic data, the psychopathology and the extent of social disabilities were also surveyed, as well as data on the living situation and the subjective quality of life with an emphasis on ‘social relationships’, ‘recreation/leisure activities’, and ‘general independence’.The five groups differed with regard to various sociodemographic and disorder-related variables, particularly with regard to the extent of social disabilities. Especially relevant, however, are the differences among the patient groups in the extent of daily social life and recreational/leisure activities that are partially reflected in their statements on the subjective quality of life. Primarily for the two groups of home residents, but also in part for the patients living in sheltered community care, social contacts are more or less limited to the residential situation and patients are more or less otherwise socially isolated. This is due among other things to the fact that patients who have been hospitalized for long periods do not as a rule return to their prior area of residence; thus, the available compensatory mediation of relationships with the social environment does not suffice. Demands for the further development of complementary systems of psychiatric care derive from these findings.


Author(s):  
Wenxin Liu ◽  
Xiuli He ◽  
Lanqi Song ◽  
Shiwei Liu

The subjective quality of life (QOL) can reflect differences in perceptions of residents and their true state of life. Taking Dehui City of northeast China as a case, based on 482 questionnaires from urban and rural residents, this paper evaluated the subjective QOL from three views, i.e. the attitude of residents to the objective material conditions where they live in, the satisfaction with various emotional relationships and the degree of concern about future unpredictable conditions. The purpose of this paper is to compare the subjective QOL of urban and rural residents and find out the key influencing factors, which will help the government to make precise measures to narrow the gap between urban and rural development in China. The results showed that the overall satisfaction of urban and rural residents in Dehui City with the basic living conditions, emotions and unknown conditions is generally higher. However, there are significant differences between urban and rural residents about the satisfaction with the basic living conditions and the degree of concern about unknown conditions. The subjective QOL of most rural residents is not ideal, and the degree of satisfaction of urban residents and rural residents who live near the urban center of Dehui and the provincial capital Changchun is slightly higher than those of the rural areas in northwestern Dehui. Social security, diversification of family income, improvement of regional environment, and family economic foundation are important factors in improving the subjective QOL of urban residents, while social security and regional environmental improvement have positively promoted the subjective QOL of rural residents.


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