Risks of Social Exclusion of Seniors Living in Home Enviroment

The bachelor thesis deals with the risks of social exclusion of seniors living in the home environment. The aim of the thesis is to find out the risks of social exclusion among seniors living separately and to identify reasons which lead seniors living in the home environment to the disuse of social services. This work is divided into two parts - the theoretical one and the empiric one. The theoretical part focuses on the definition of principal terms concerning the bachelor thesis. In the empirical part, there are stated two exploratory questions concerning the risks of social exclusion of seniors living in the home environment and the reasons which lead seniors living in the home environment to the disuse of social services. For obtaining the answers to the highlighted exploratory questions were used several methods, such as a qualitative investigative strategy, interviewing, and a technic of a semistructured interview. The investigative sample was formed by six informants, which were chosen in a combination of two methods of selection - the snowball method and quota sampling. Physical health, as one of the many risks, can lead to the social exclusion of seniors living in the home environment. The results further point to limited financial means, reduced self-sufficiency, and reduced social interactions. For example, low foreknowledge about social services, their negotiation and financial valuation, self-sufficiency, assurance of proceeding care and disposal of the sphere of close people can be seen as possible reasons that lead to the disuse of social services. The results may be beneficial for increasing awareness of the public about risks that lead to social exclusion. Further, they could serve as feedback to organisations providing social services to increase the foreknowledge about the services they provide