Impact of quality of life between old age homes and family households in geriatric population

Introduction and Aim: Life satisfaction is a key aspect of psycho-social study of aging. Social relationships and involvement in activities are key protective factors in maintaining cognitive and functional ability in elderly. The aim of this study is to compare the quality of life (1) among the elderly people living in old age homes and those living with their family, (2) among elderly men and women in Mangalore. Materials and Methods: Study group consists of 160 elderly subjects above the age of 60 years, selected from old-agehomes and urban families in Mangalore. The quality of life is assessed using the questionnaires from the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL). Results: The elderly persons living with their family had a better social relationship and social participation than those living at old age homes (p<0.001). The elderly at old age homes had a better personal and intimate relationship than those living with their family (p<0.001). The elderly men had a better social relationship compared to elderly women (p<0.05).The social participation and intimate relationship was not significantly different for elderly men and women. Conclusion: Lack of support from family degrades quality of life of elderly. The elderly who experiences social isolation and loneliness are at a greater risk for morbidity, depression and cognitivedecline. Hence, it is the responsibility of every individual to work towards the improvement of quality of life in the elderly population.