The dissertation describes the quality of seniors´ life in homes for seniors. It is difficult to create a generally valid definition of the quality of life because of multidimensional and objektive character of this problem. But it is possible to look for factors having influence on the quality of life and for understanding of needs connected with subjective perception of the quality of seniors' life. The definition of theoretical connections in the first part of the work is concentrated on the problem of growing old and old age in connection with looking into the quality of seniors? life. Special attention is payed to the problem of life quality in general with regard to the quality of seniors? life. In the research part there are results and their use in practice. A quantitative research strategy (especially a method of interwieving) was used to reach the research intent. The author of the dissertation has used a combination of three questionnaires created by the World Health Organization which are focused on seniors´ life quality research ? their standardized Czech version: WHOQOL?OLD, WHOQOL?BREF and the questionnaire concernig attitudes to growing old and old age ? AAQ. The main aim of the dissertation was to find out a level of the quality of seniors´ life in homes for seniors, to evaluate the quality of life in various life domains from the point of view of their importance for general satisfaction with the quality of life. The author has researched an influence of sociodemographical indicators on subjective perception of the quality of seniors´ life in homes for seniors. In the last part of the dissertation there are mentioned particular fields which influence the quality of seniors´ life and there are described factors participating in the quality of life. Paying attention to the quality of seniors´ life in homes for seniors not only by seniors themselves but also by managers of these facilities ? it is a practical benefit of author´s dissertation. Several homes for seniors have showed interest in cooperation to create manuals for key management.These manuals will become a methodical material for creation of individual plans for seniors in homes for seniors. Knowledge of factors impressing the quality of seniors´ life can help to define needs of seniors in homes for seniors and to make easier planning aims of provided services. Other practical benefit of this work is publishing a special scientific publication called Quality of seniors´ life in homes for seniors which will be published by Grada Publishing in August 2012. The theoretical solutions and research results of this dissertation will be presented here. The reason of choosing the theme ?Quality of seniors´ life in homes for seniors? was to show an importace of perception of a man based on bio-psycho-social and spiritual level including his subjective outlook on satisfaction of his personal needs. This philosophy is tightly connected with the quality of provided services in long-stay facilities. The quality of provided services can be judged according to objective indicators including subjective perception of particular users.

The basic theoretical basis: According to demographic development the average and maximum lifespan prolongs. Therefore global population spends a bigger part of adulthood in their old age. This phenomenon is irreversible and brings significant changes into global geriatric nursing and we need to take note of the care that is provided to old patients. The seniors form an irreplaceable and a more and more considerable part of population, they create a varied group with individual needs, priorities and demands in sickness as in health. It is the very polymorbidity of senior patients which is often the reason for a long-term hospitalization. Nowadays, for these purposes more and more beds are built in long-term care facilities (LTCF) which are officially defined as specialized medical institutions which provide care to patients whose health states cannot be substantially improved by any medical treatment as they worsen without a continuous care. The life quality of seniors and the quality of the provided care in these facilities are the main long-term care level indicators. The goals of the thesis: 1) Ascertain the life quality of seniors hospitalized in long-term care institutions. The research questions: 1) How does the hospitalization of seniors in LTCF influence their subjectively perceived quality of life? 2) In which areas do seniors hospitalized in LTCF feel the difference of life quality in LTCF and at home? 3) How are the patients in LTCF satisfied with the quality of health care? 4) Within the rise of seniors' life quality in LTCF, in which areas should the nurse improve the provided care? Methods employed: For the empirical part of the thesis the qualitative analysis of gathered data method was used. The data accumulation was implemented by semi-structured interviews with clients-patients hospitalized in LTCF. The instructions for the interviews were adopted from a QOL Research Unit life quality model of the university in Toronto. This model emphasizes the individual's relations towards the surroundings and the possibilities of maintaining and improving skills. It is divided into 3 categories - existence, togetherness and adaptability. Interview transcriptions create a part of the thesis on an enclosed CD. For illustrative purposes, the results of the research were transformed into mind maps using the XMind software. There are also annotations with respondents' quotations concerning individual map as a part of the thesis. The results: The analysis of in-depth interview gathered information brought several factors which are highly subjective and have a logical level of individuality. The results concerning the research of the seniors' life quality dimensions are more or less in agreement with the basic division found in professional literature. However, they bring a further view on these dimensions and introduce subjective opinions, wishes and evaluation of seniors who found themselves in unknown environment of LTCF. The positive influence of nurses, which often impact the satisfaction of seniors in a medical institution, proved its importance. However, it was the area of communication skills of medical staff which was mentioned as lacking or insufficient. Also the fields of free time activities, seniors' adaptation in LTCF and social isolation were found to be neglected. Conclusion: The long-term care becomes, thanks to demographic development, the most rapidly evolving kind of health care. The emphasis on life quality of hospitalized seniors, as their biggest consumers, should be a matter of course for every medical and social facility. The contribution of the thesis is in detailed mapping of the issue of life quality in LTCF, warning against lack in health care and the neglected fields of life quality.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Linköping : Univ., 2002. / Härtill 6 uppsatser.

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.