Successful and healthy aging processes are major challenges facing the discipline of Gerontology and our society. By the year 2030 experts are predicitng that the United States will actually have more older adults than children. This significant social transformation has inspired the investigators to explore the perception of the elderly population on psychosocial issues that impact on the aging process. For the purpose of this study, these issues were defined within the following variables: housing, transportation, legal, access to primary care, financial and recreational.
Currently, 350 questionnaires have been completed and additional questionnaires are being administered to increase the sample size. Preliminary analysis of the completed questionnaires have indicated the following significant findings:
1. Most of the residents prefer to be in their homes. 2. The average nursing home resident is a white female, age 82. 3. Average daily cost of a nursing home is about $350 per night. 4. The typical widowed resident is lonely. 5. Out of 343 subjects that answered, 198 agreed that they depend on ambulance service to get around. The majority of those who agreed were widowed. r=.001 6. Out of 348 subjects that answereed, 257 females agreed that they depend on a friend or relative to get around. r=.05 7. Out of 345 subjects that answered, 196 preferred to be in their own home. The majority of those who agreed that they wanted to be in their own homes were those who held clerical positions as their means of employment. r=.01
Learning Objectives: 1. Participants will be able to identify psychosocial issues associated with aging. 2. The knowledge of participants will be increased in issues associated with nursing home residents. 3. Participants will be able to identify cultural differences between nursing home residents
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.