Health Sensation of the Elderly

This bachelor's thesis is concerned with the satisfaction and quality of life of seniors in retirement homes. The main objective of this thesis is to measure the degree of satisfaction of life in a specific retirement home. The work is divided into a theoretical part and a research part. The theoretical part is divided into three chapters. The first chapter is concerned with satisfaction as psychological contentment, and factors which are linked with this. Furthermore, this chapter is devoted to life events, evaluations, and priorities. These terms will be defined in this chapter. The term "senior" is here also defined, as a person aged 60 years. The second chapter of the theoretical part is concerned with old age and aging, whilst also interpreting the meaning of these terms. Emphasis is placed on the relationship between the senior and their family. Here, family is thought of as an essential component in the care of a senior. The third chapter is devoted to satisfaction of life in old age, where select elements of the life of a senior are discussed. Some themes discussed include moving into a retirement home, retiring from work, loss of employment and change of living arrangements. The empirical part will address the satisfaction of life of seniors in a retirement home. The main question addressed was: Which important milestones played key roles in the life of a senior? The question was divided into six more detailed questions: What is the relationship between the senior and their family like? How does the senior perceive their own departure from home and living in a retirement home? How does the senior perceive their own state of health? What does the senior do in their free time? How satisfied was the senior in their marriage/partnership? What role did the senior's employment have? After obtaining the necessary information, a qualitative investigation was carried out using investigative methods and a semi structured interview. The results were recorded with the aid of so called clusters. Following on from this, the manner by which the participants were chosen is discussed. The group was formed from 6 individuals (3 men and 3 women), who were willing to take part in the study. The study took place in two phases. Firstly, a preliminary survey was carried out, and after this the main study was conducted. The interview was recorded on a dictaphone and transcribed. The data obtained was evaluated with the aid of clusters. The resulting details were structured by each of the longer, more detailed questions. From the study it was revealed that during their lives seniors, or at least those who participated in the study, place an emphasis on their children and the relations they have with their family, employment and their stay in the retirement home in Budíškovice. The results of this bachelor's thesis can aid social workers in a correct approach to clients in the retirement home in Budíškovice