Background: Loss experiences such as the loss of a spouse, a close relative or significant others become more likely in old age and may be strongly related to specific unmet health care needs. These unmet needs may often remain undetected and undertreated followed by a negative impact on well-being and social role functioning. The present study aims at exploring the relationship between loss experiences and specific unmet care needs in old age. Methods: As part of the study „Need assessment in the oldest old: application, psychometric examination and establishment of the German version of the Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly (CANE)”, the adapted German version of the CANE was used in a population-representative telephone survey in a sample of 988 individuals aged 75+ years. Loss experiences within the last 12 months were assessed within the structured telephone survey. Descriptive and interferential statistical analyses were run in order to examine the association between loss experiences and occurring unmet care needs. Results: Overall, 29.7% of the oldest old reported at least one social loss with other relatives losses being the most frequent (12.5%), followed by non-family losses (10.7%). A significant relationship between loss experiences and a higher number of unmet care needs was observed, especially for close family losses. Other risk factors for unmet care needs were age, marital status, depression, social support and morbidity. Conclusions: This study provides, for the first time in Germany, data on the association between loss experiences and unmet needs. These findings may substantially contribute to the development of loss-specific interventions, effective treatment and health care planning for the bereaved elderly.

The thesis is focused on health and injuries in nursing homes and health care facilities and their prevention. Given that accidents cause high morbidity and mortality of the elderly, it is important to think about prevention and the search for the causes of these accidents. The main objective of the empirical part of the study was to determine the causes of clients accidents in social and medical facilities and compare both types of facilities. For research in the empirical part of this work has been used quantitative research strategy, method of questioning techniques of data collection questionnaire. Research has shown that 87% of respondents suffer from musculoskeletal diseases. 44% of respondents, women more often than men, had received the fall and subsequent hospitalization. The thesis may help to understand the issues of accidents of the elderly and health effect on the quality of people's life living in health and social care facilities.