Abstract
Purpose This study assessed the subjective well-being of elderly residents of special nursing homes, and examined related factors, particularly from the perspective of lifestyle.
Methods An interview survey using a structured questionnaire was conducted on 124 elderly individuals (age, ≥65 years) living in one of 8 special nursing homes in 2 prefectures in the Hokuriku region for at least 3 months. All were graded as level II or less on the Dementia Elderly Daily Living Independence Rank from late August to early November 2002. A total of 115 subjects (men, n=26; women, n=89; mean age, 83.16±7.13 years) were included in the analysis. Regarding survey items, the residents’ subjective well-being was measured using the revised PGC Morale Scale, and related factors were categorized into “basic attributes”, “activities of daily living”, “health”, “personal relationships within the facility”, and “freedom in lifestyle”.
Results The mean PGC Morale Scale score was 10.06±3.95 points. As a result of multiple regression analysis, factors related to the subjective well-being of elderly residents of special nursing homes were found to be: “sense of freedom of choice in lifestyle”, “feeling of seeing the staff smile”, “no worrisome disease”, “lack of physical pain”, and “absence of renal disease and urinary organ disease”.
Conclusion Security, human relations being good, an acceptable physical state of health, a degree of freedom in everyday life were found to underly a subjective feeling of happiness in persons living in welfare institutions. It is therefore important that these be taken into account in free choice of a care service, with emphasis on providing a desirable residence environment with good human relations inwelfare institutions.
