Objective:We investigated the basic parameters of Self-preservation of the elderly. "Satisfaction with life" is one of the major self-preservation parameters. Satisfaction with certain conditions of life in the elderly was examined. These conditions included; housing and resources, food, health services,leisure time, relations with family members and everyday contact with other individuals, the current state of ones health, an individuals employment status and his or her life as a whole.
Design:A fundamental sociological research was carried out by a method of inquiry using residents who were 60 years or older in the city of Nyzhny Novgorod.
Materials and Methods: The questionnaire was adapted from a similar instrument for an international sample developed at the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Sociology. A factor analysis was applied to the basic types of items which indicated the subjects’ "satisfaction with life".
Results: We found that the pensioner’s subjective estimation of their material resources looks more secure than their actual state of affairs. his would further indicate that it is easier for the elderly to adapt to material difficulties, than it is for individuals in younger age groups. The analysis of responses demonstrated that: 77.6 ± 1.9 % of respondents were satisfied with their Housing conditions, while 71.52 ± 2.2% were happy with their relations with close friends and native citizens in general. Another 67.5 ± 2.3 % were pleased with their health services, and 65.0 ± 2.5 % had no problem in relating to individuals with whom they come into contact in their everyday life. As many as 56.6 ± 4.6 % were happy with their work status, as were 50.8 ± 2.9 % with their food. Regarding financial resources, 41.4 ± 3.1 % maintained a positive attitude. In contrast to these very positive attitudes about certain aspects of life satisfaction, we have found that there were 2.2 times more respondents who were dissatisfied with the state of their current health (p< 0.001); however, there were 1.5 times more respondents who were satisfied with their life in general.
Conclusion:
The factor analysis revealed the specificity of satisfaction with various aspects of life of the elderly. They appear to be able to compensate for a total dissatisfaction with selected aspects of life by achieving some satisfaction with two or three conditions which we investigated. The ability to compensate appeared to be an important social adaptation mechanism of the elderly. Having offered the elderly a selection of two or three aspects of life from which to choose appeared to have facilitated their choice of a greater "satisfaction" response for their life as a whole. This allowed for an allocation of groups of elderly to a higher satisfaction rate with varied aspects of life. It is necessary to define the appropriateness of medical and social help for each group of elderly persons according to their "degree of satisfaction" responses to specific items used in this investigation.
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