Successful aging in an assisted living facility

Gelbart, O., Rubinstein, D., Raanan, O., Shalish, Y., Itzhaki, M., & Siebzehner, M. I. (2009). Successful aging in an assisted living facility. (Presentation) ICN 24th Quadrennial Congress: Leading change: Building Healthier Nations, Durban, South Africa

Background: Successful aging is associated with a positive psychological approach in later years, general well - being and happiness. In the filed of medicine and health sciences, research typically focuses on the examination and cure of illness, however, a recent shift to prevention accentuates resilience and wellness promotion

Purpose: To examined the relationship between socio - demographic variables like gender, education, marital status and religiosity with locus of control, health perception and happiness in elderly

Method: A structured questionnaire containing demographic data and questions related to locus of control, health perception and happiness was distributed for self - completion by elderly living in assisted living facility. Data analyzed by SPSS software

Outcomes: Participants were 345 elders, mean age 81.87 years and 69.2% females and 30.8% males; 43% of participants did not complete high school and only 19% had an academic degree; 59.5% were widowed; 32.1% were conservative and orthodox while 67.9% were secular. Significant correlations were found between: marital status and health perception and happiness; religiosity, gender and locus of control. No correlations were found between education and locus of control and happiness

Conclusions: Married secular elderly women had higher internal locus of control and better health perception are happier than comparative elderly men