"The concept of successful aging"

Koncept uspješno starenja stavlja naglasak na očuvanje ili daljnje razvijanje potencijala i u starijoj dobi. Sugerira kako starost može biti razdoblje očuvanog zdravlja i vitalnosti u kojem starije osobe aktivno doprinose društvu (Achenbaum, 2001; Butler i Gleason 1985). Povijest istraživanja konstrukta uspješnog starenja obilježile su dvije paralelne tradicije: biomedicinska i psihosocijalna. Sukladno biomedicinskoj tradiciji uspješno starenje se definira kao tjelesno i mentalno zdravlje te izostanak bolesti (Rowe i Kahn, 1997). Psihosocijalni pristup (Baltes i Balter, 1990) naglašava pozitivna psihološka stanja i resurse te dobre socijalne odnose. U psihološka stanja i resurse ubrajaju se: zadovoljstvo životom, samopoštovanje, osjećaj kontrole, učinkovite strategije nošenja s gubicima, dok se dobri, tj. zadovoljavajući socijalni odnosi odnose na pozitivne socijalne interakcije i društvenu uključenost. Osim navedenih kriterija uspješnog starenja, što se obavezno mora uzeti u obzir prilikom procjene, a što se naziva: laički pristup uspješnom starenju, što u prethodna dva pravca nije uključeno. Podatci koji se dobiju istraživanjima percepcije starijih osoba o uspješnom starenju, od velike su važnosti za planiranje javnih politika u pružanju usluge starijim osobama u više segmenata (socijalna skrb, zdravstvena zaštita, organizaciji aktivnog života...), uvažavajući individualne potrebe stariji osoba s obzirom na područja u kojima borave, a što bi povećalo zadovoljstvo životom i stvorilo temelje za uspješno starenje. Cilj: Ispitati percepciju i uvjerenja starijih osoba o značajkama uspješnog starenja, tj. u kojoj mjeri ispitanici, vlastito starenje doživljavaju kao uspješno, te postoje li razlike u percepciji važnosti ispitanih obilježja uspješnog starenja. Ispitanici: U istraživanje su uključeni ispitanici oba spola, stariji od 65 godina, na području Dubrovaĉko – Neretvanske županije. Metode istraživanja i instrumenti: Za dobivanje potrebnih rezultata i podataka proveden je anketni upitnik koji se sastoji od dva dijela. U prvom dijelu ankete su obuhvaćene demografske karakteristike ispitanika, dok drugi dio ankete sadrži Skalu samoprocjene uspješnog starenja. Rezultati rada: Ne postoji međusobna povezanost uspješnog starenja s dobi, mjestom i načinom življenja te bračnim statusom. Postoji statistički značajna razlika u percepciji uspješnog starenja prema spolu, stručnoj spremi i materijalnom statusu.The concept of successful aging emphasizes the preservation or further development of potential even in old age. It suggests that old age can be a period of preserved health and vitality in which older people actively contribute to society (Achenbaum, 2001; Butler and Gleason 1985). The history of research into the construct of successful aging has been marked by two parallel traditions: biomedical and psychosocial. According to the biomedical tradition, successful aging is defined as physical and mental health and the absence of disease (Rowe and Kahn, 1997). The psychosocial approach (Baltes and Balter, 1990) emphasizes positive psychological states and resources and good social relationships. Psychological states and resources include: life satisfaction, self - esteem, sense of control, effective strategies for dealing with losses, while good, i.e. satisfactory social relations refer to positive social interactions and social inclusion. In addition to the mentioned criteria of successful aging, what must be taken into account during the assessment, which is called: the laic approach to successful aging, which is not included in the previous two directions. The data obtained from research on the perception of the elderly about successful aging are of great importance for the planning of public policies in the provision of services to the elderly in several segments (social care, health care, organization of an active life...), respecting the individual needs of the elderly with regard to to the areas where they live, which would increase life satisfaction and create the foundations for successful aging. Objective: To examine the perception and beliefs of older people about the characteristics of successful aging, i.e. to what extent the respondents perceive their own aging as successful, and whether there are differences in the perception of the importance of the examined characteristics of successful aging. Respondents: Respondents of both sexes, older than 65 years, in the area of Dubrovnik - Neretva County were included in the research. Research methods and instruments: To obtain the necessary results and data, a questionnaire consisting of two parts was conducted. Research methods and instruments: To obtain the necessary results and data, a questionnaire consisting of two parts was conducted. The first part of the survey covers the demographic characteristics of the respondents, while the second part of the survey contains the Self-Assessment Scale of Successful Aging. Results of the work: There is no correlation between successful aging with age, place and way of living, and marital status. There is a statistically significant difference in the perception of successful aging according to gender, professional training and financial status