Living arrangements and self-issues, social interaction of the elderly, and perceived quality of life

This study looked into the living arrangements of the elderly and its effects on their perceived quality of life mainly focusing on their self issues and interpersonal relationships. This study focused on 3 types of elderly living arrangements namely living with kin, living with non-kin, and living in nursing homes. This study examined how the living arrangements affected the elderly in terms of their physical health, support received, need to belong, perception of death and dying, and perceived quality of life. A total of 90 participants were gathered with 30 respondents for each group of living arrangement. The researchers gathered data by distributing surveys to the elderly by using convenient sampling. The scales used to measure were The Death and Dying Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Quality of Life Scale, and Need to Belong Scale which was used to measure the individuals perception of death and dying, support received, quality of life, need to belong respectively. Additional questions were also asked in order to assess the individuals current physical health status. The data gathered was analyzed using a one-way ANOVA. The results reported a significant effect between the living arrangements of the elderly and 3 out of the 4 dependent variables. It showed that health, support received, and perceived need to belong was affected by the living arrangements of the elderly. The variable on perception of death and dying, however, did not result into a significant one. In conclusion, the elderly who live with kin and non-kin have a better perception of their quality of life as opposed to those who live in nursing homes