EVALUATION OF ATTITUDES TOWARDS OLD AGE AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN AN INSTITUTIONAL FACILITY

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the research was to determine attitudes towards old age in older adults living in institutional facilities, and to compare them with the population standard. A further aim was to determine differences in attitudes towards old age by gender, age, level of education, and self-sufficiency in the older adults surveyed. Design: A cross-sectional study. Methods: A research sample consisting of 121 elderly people living in retirement homes. Data were collected using a Czech version of the AAQ questionnaire (Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire), and Barthelʼs test of Activities of daily living was used to assess levels of self-sufficiency. Results: Older adults awarded the highest score (most positive attitude) in the domain of psychosocial losses. In comparison with the population standard, older adults rated the domain of physical change (p < 0.001) and psychological growth (p < 0.001) negatively. The domain of psychosocial losses was assessed more positively by men (p < 0.001) and the elderly with moderate dependence (p < 0.001); the domain of physical changes was also positively assessed by men (p = 0.001), and older adults with university education (p = 0.002); the domain of psychological growth was rated more positively by adults over 85 years (p = 0.001), and the elderly with basic education (p = 0.040). Conclusion: Determining older adults´ attitudes towards ageing in institutional care may help in the preparation of individual care plans aimed at supporting clients in areas that have been evaluated negatively. Keywords: institutional care, quality of life, attitudes, old age, ageing, self-sufficiency.