Quality of Life, Perceptions of Change, and Psychological Well-Being of the Elderly Population in Small Rural Towns in the Midwest

This study examines the quality of life of the elderly residents of two rural Nebraska towns, both having experienced a large increase in population. The study examines how the residents' perception of changes in the community affect their view of quality of life, and identifies determinants of psychological well-being for these elderly residents. The results are compared to the non-elderly residents of these two communities for purposes of contrast. A face-to-face survey of the residents addressed physical, social/cultural, economic, and service issues. Both correlation and regression were used to analyze the data. The quality of life of the elderly residents in our study, in terms of satisfaction with the various components of general well-being--home and neighborhood, accessibility and adequacy of services (including transportation), health and safety--were very positive or satisfactory; this applies equally to the non-elderly population, with the exception of access to public transportation.