Quality o f Life and Its Resources: A Comparative Study Of Institutionalized Versus Non Institutionalized Elderly

Abstract

Quality of life is considered an important aspect for any age group. Due to various consequences, it is essential for the elderly population to have adequate quality of life - be it the institutionalized as well as non-institutionalized elderly. Quality of life is considered as a person’s physical health, psychological state and level of independence, social relationships and their relationship to their environment. Therefore, it was considered worthwhile to investigate the differences in QoL and its resources in institutionalized and non-institutionalized elderly.
In recent years, relationship between affect and health (or adjustment) has been a topic of intense research in the domain of health psychology and behavioral medicine. Positive and negative feelings have independent effects on health of institutionalized and non-institutionalized elderly contributing towards their quality of life. One of the primary topics covered by positive psychology is the phenomenon of hope. The psychology of hope has become a dynamic branch of research that is being developed by numerous scientists across the world. Several practitioners and researchers have recognized the importance of religious/spiritual dimension towards health (Rowold, 2011). Researches showed that resilience helps in coping with the negative effects of stress and promotes adaptation, and this adaptation leads to life satisfaction (Wagnild, 2003). Wealth is related to many positive life outcomes (Furmham & Argyle, 1998). For example, people with a higher socio-economic status have better health and mental health, can afford improved health care services, and have greater longevity. Another social variable which also plays a vital role towards QoL of instutionalized and non-instutionalized elderly is social support. Social support stems from social interactions and networks of relationships that are intended to strengthen the well-being of their members. Thus, the main aim of the present investigation was to compare instutionalized and non-instutionalized elderly on quality of life and its resources, viz., affect, hope, spiritual well-being, resilience, socio-economic status, and social support.
The total sample of the present investigation comprised 320 institutionalized and non-institutionalized elderly. The sample for institutionalized elderly comprised those who were living in old age homes in and around Patiala and Chandigarh. The sample for non-institutionalized elderly (N=160; males=80 and females=80) comprised those who were living with their families in their homes. The selected age range was 60 to 75 years. All participants living in urban cities were taken in the present investigation. The tools used were Flanagan's Quality of Scale, Resilience Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, Spiritual Well-Being Scale, Adult Hope Scale and Social Support Questionnaire. t-test (for independent samples) revealed that non-institutionalized elderly scored higher on QOL, positive affect agency (subscale of hope), pathways (subscale of hope), religious well-being and existential well-being (subscales of spiritual well-being) and social support than the institutionalized elderly whereas, the latter scored more than the former on negative affect and resilience, by and large. There was no difference between institutionalized elderly and non-institutionalized elderly on socio-economic status.
The findings are interpreted in terms of the disintegration of the family as well as social structure, and differential conditions and effects of institutionalisation in eastern rather than western cultures.