Quality of Life of Institutionalized Elderly People in Nursing Homes: a Quantitative Analysis

Abstract

Nursing homes have the characteristic of being “complete institutions” or “enclosed microcosms” and the quality of life (QoL) in late adulthood is generally perceived as a multidimensional construct. Over recent years, media reports have focused on the deficiencies in nursing home residences, and a subsequent increase in the demand for instruments capable of measuring this construct has arisen. Objective: To compare the quantitative functional mobility, level of independence, depressive symptoms and QoL of nursing home residents compared with home care recipients. Methods: have analyzed the quality of life and physical and psychological disorders 400 people over 60 years old, admitted to nursing homes or living with their families through the implementation of a questionnaire covering three different indices (Barthel Index, Yesavage and WHOQOL-OLD) to assess the degree of dependence of people. Results: has resulted in a significant reduction in quality of life of older people living in nursing homes (p<0.001) compared to older usually live with their families. Our results show that the degree of physical and / or psychological dependence on our largest is the determinant for entry into a nursing home in our community (p>0.001) factor. Conclusions: the current model residences require a change that allows responding to the real needs of our elderly institutionalized.