Abstract
A questionnaire survey was conducted on 600 elderly members of “senior clubs” or “senior salons,” which are resident-operated gathering places, to clarify signs of frailty, involvement in community living support activities, and satisfaction with their lives. The number of respondents was 515 (85.8% response rate), including 159 out of 200 senior club members and 356 out of 400 senior salon members. The frequency of participation was higher among senior salon members. All members were less likely to exercise or go out in their daily lives. Regarding diet, there was no difference in signs of frailty between the senior club members and senior salon members. In other abilities and activities, more senior salon members showed signs of frailty. As for the support provided, less than 50% of the whole subjects provided “safety checks” and “talking to others,” while “helping with evacuation at the time of a disaster” was common among senior club members and “providing meals” among senior salon members. On the other hand, “safety confirmation” and “someone to talk to” were relatively common among those who received the support, although the percentages were lower than those for the support provided. Life satisfaction was relatively high on a 10-point scale, 7.05 ± 1.72 points for men and 7.08 ± 1.98 points for women. Compared to those with signs of frailty, those without signs of frailty had a significantly higher level of life satisfaction.
