The population is getting older. Prognosis predict increasing numbers of people in the age group 65+ in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to think about involving senior citizens in social development and supporting their self-sufficiency up to a higher age. Education is one of the ways to achieve that. The focus of this thesis is on education within the Universities of the Third Age, which it studies from a new point of view. Hardiness is seen as part of personal characteristics which helps the individual cope with stressful situations. Research in this thesis is trying to find out if the senior citizens attending the Universities of the Third Age have a higher scores on hardiness then those who do not attend, and also whether they have a more positive outlook on their health and meaning of their lives. The thesis also studies whether the scores on hardiness depends on gender, formal education level and whether it is connected to perceived social support. The results show that there is no difference in the scores on hardiness resulting from gender. Senior citizens attending the Universities of the Third Age have a more positive outlook on their health and they also perceive their lives as more meaningful. No difference in the scores on hardiness was found between the two groups. Also, no...

Die Grenzen zwischen digitalen und klassischen Informationsangeboten verschmelzen zunehmend und gleichzeitig werden mobile und nternetfähige Endgeräte zum täglichen Begleiter für alle möglichen Fragen und Themen. Jüngere Altersgruppen haben digitale Medien und mobile Endgeräte bereits fest in ihren Alltag integriert, aber auch in den älteren Generationen steigt der Anteil der Nutzer zunehmend. Durch die steigende Alltagsrelevanz und die ständige zeit- aber auch ortsunabhängige Verfügbarkeit neuer Medien verändern sich Informationsumgebungen. Eine nicht zu unterschätzende Rolle spielen dabei Online-Communities, in denen Informationen nicht nur bereitgestellt, sondern auch geteilt, bewertet und kommentiert werden können. Doch die Vielfalt möglicher Zugänge und Quellen wird auf unterschiedliche Weise genutzt. Der Zugang zu verschiedenen digitalen Quellen, die zwar nicht ausschließlich, dennoch auch durch Atersunterschiede bedingt werden. Es wird die Frage gestellt wie sich das Informationsverhalten verschiedener Altersgruppen unter den aktuellen medialen Bedingungen darstellt.

The diploma thesis Perception of a Retirement Home before and after Client's Admission deals with elderly people's decision to go to a retirement home and their subsequent life in a retirement home. The diploma thesis is divided into two parts theoretical and empirical. The theoretical part focuses on aging and old age, quality of life, autonomy, modern families and elderly care at home as well as in institutions. The chapter Aging, Old Age and the Elderly explains the terms "aging" and "old age". Next, it also describes the changes that occur during old age, how the elderly manage to adapt to these changes and what is their attitude toward old age. From the nursing perspective, the senior citizens can be divided into following categories: able, fragile, dependent, completely dependent and dying. According to this division, the level of care for the elderly can be determined. However, it is vital to maintain acceptable life quality among the elderly as well as respect their real needs. Not only basic physiological needs have to be satisfied, but also higher-level needs cannot be overlooked, such as safety, security, love, acceptance, belonging, respect, recognition and personal fulfillment. One of the next main aspects that also should be taken into account is personal autonomy. Personal autonomy includes independence and freedom. It is self-sufficiency of an individual related to his or her possibilities, abilities and willingness to seize the choices and opportunities that life offers. People have the right to make independent decisions and establish or carry out them in their social environment. In general, people are considered to be autonomous individuals when they manage and organize their own activities without help of anyone else, are able to satisfy their physiological needs, stand up for their opinions and do not enforce approval, closeness and emotional support. They should not excessively fear other people or even feel guilty. If elderly people are no longer self-sufficient due to any reason, it is necessary to provide them with comprehensive care. Elderly people should be entitled to choose their preferred form of care. Elderly care can be provided in clients' private environment, by their family or by field social work. If the elderly do not have a family or it is not possible to take care of them in their home, a housing facility called a retirement home can be used. A retirement home helps its clients with following: accommodation, meals, assistance with daily self-care tasks, personal hygiene or arrangement for personal hygiene, maintaining contacts with social environment, activating tasks and enforcing rights and interests (for instance assistance in dealing with authorities, communicating with various companies, etc.). The aim of the empirical part of the thesis was to determine how the elderly perceive the retirement home before their admission and after adaptation. A secondary aim was to identify the views of family members on changes in the behavior of the elderly after their placement in a retirement home. With regard to the objectives of the thesis, a qualitative research method has been chosen which allows to examine the area in depth. The research was conducted by a survey method (a semi-structured interview). The research was conducted in two retirement homes in South Bohemia. The research group consisted of 10 respondents aged from 60 to 88 years. The target group was selected by quota sampling. The respondents consisted of clients without loss of cognitive abilities placed in a retirement home who could remember their idea about the retirement home before entering it. Another target group were family members of the individual interviewed clients. The diploma thesis states questions related to the research areas.

The diploma thesis is structured into a theoretical part and an empirical part. The theoretical part consists of four chapters. The empirical part of the diploma thesis is based on qualitative research. The data were collected via semi-structured interviews with the senior citizens and the nurses. The replies were processed into clearly arranged charts and categories with brief descriptions. Another research method applied was observation. The interviews were followed by a detailed analysis of the documentation, which involved the analysis of the medical records of the senior citizens with a focus on medical diagnosis, chronic medication, and processing of the fall risk and its evaluation. The diploma thesis pursued three objectives by means of four related research questions. The first objective was to ascertain the extent of the clients' awareness of fall risks. The second objective was to assess the discomfort associated with usage of the special device preventing hip joint injuries resulting from falls during common everyday activities of the senior citizens. Finally, the third objective was to obtain the opinions of the healthcare staff on working with clients wearing special devices preventing the hip joint injuries. Four research questions were formulated in connection with these three objectives. Research question No. 1: What is the quality of information provided by the healthcare staff as part of the preventive intervention regarding the falls? Research question No. 2: How willing are the clients to accept changes contributing to fall prevention? Research question No. 3: To what extent is the comfort of the client affected by using special devices preventing fall-related hip joint injuries? Research question No. 4: To what extent is the work of the healthcare staff affected if their clients use devices preventing fall-related hip joint injuries? The results of the qualitative research suggest that the extent of information provided by the healthcare staff as part of the preventive intervention regarding the falls is insufficient in terms of awareness of the risky places. In particular, the research revealed that the nurses fail to sufficiently monitor the effects of chronic medication which may contribute to psycho-motor inhibition of the senior clients. As far as mobility aids are concerned, the nurses offer these devices sufficiently. The nurses demonstrated very good knowledge of all the mobility aids which may facilitate self-reliance of the senior clients. Another problematic issue is the safety of the rooms, particularly in terms of various protrusions and unevenness in the bathrooms. The results of the research do not show any unwillingness of the clients to accept changes contributing to fall prevention. Nevertheless, two of the respondents failed to engage in the activities and maintain physical fitness by regular exercise in the Retirement House. Furthermore, the results do not show any limitation of the clients' comfort resulting from using special devices preventing fall-related hip joint injuries. Finally, according to the research the healthcare staff does not feel restricted in any way when working with senior clients using such device. The results of the research will be used for repeated meetings with the senior clients and particularly with the nurses. The management of the Retirement House, together with the healthcare staff, are working on a new educational material which would indicate risky places with increased probability of falls. These results could be beneficial also for other facilities where healthcare staff takes care of senior citizens. Last but not least, the results are of interest also to the health insurance companies which could provide this special device with at least partial subsidy as part of the primary prevention programme.

This thesis focuses on the values preferred by senior citizens in old people's homes. Values are an integral part of every human life. The old age brings about a reorientation of values; there is a fixation on the family when senior citizens need to feel a sense of necessity and love. Accommodation of needs is a basis for the development of a value system where its value hierarchy is a structured system governed by importance. Old people feel a need for communication but this need is not very well saturated. With increasing age, feelings of loneliness occur and biological needs become accentuated. The empirical part of the thesis defines the objective to find out what life values are preferred by the senior citizens in the Old People's Nursing Home in Jindřichův Hradec. The method for data collection was a qualitative research, the method of case studies. The research group was selected using the method of quota purposive sampling. It consisted of six users of the OPNH; they were communicative men and women aged 65-85 years who received care allowance of the 2nd degree. The key technique used for data collection was an interview using a manual that was used with the six respondents at the OPNH in Jindřichův Hradec. A total of 15 users were interviewed who met the quota conditions but only six users were willing to participate in the research and to be interviewed. The last research question examined what their view of the life in the OPNH is. The research showed that the respondents were affected most by their stay at a triple room, which restricted their quality of sleep, privacy and adaptation. Retaining the dignity and communication with the staff is most important for the respondents. It is possible to comment answering the main research question What life values are preferred by the senior citizens in the Old People's Nursing Home in Jindřichův Hradec' by stating that the respondents feel as the most important their self-sufficiency and health, which undoubtedly affect the fulfilment of all the other needs, and the family that is the purpose of lives of the respondents, it is their driving force and they have something to live for. This thesis should highlight the importance of the issues preferred by users in the Old People's Nursing Home, the importance of cooperation with their families, how important is communication that helps the users to adapt to the new environment and then the creating of individual plans to maintain self-sufficiency of the senior citizens and, in the event they can no longer be self-sufficient and there is a need of help from another person, it is necessary to realize how important it is for the users to maintain their dignity. This thesis helps to justify the importance of the value system of senior citizens. It also expresses the efforts to improve the quality of life of senior citizens in residential social-service facilities while making social work more effective.

The topic of old age and ageing is wide-ranging. The position of senior citizens within a society and the solution of the questions connected with the consequences of their growing age represents an integral part of the natural life cycle. Apart from their material security the quality range of senior citizens{\crq} life is made up of their state of health, accessibility of both public and private health, social and other services, marital status, the quality of housing, the chance of further education and developing social contacts. The quality of life is a very subjective and individual phenomenon. It involves different impulses for various people in different periods. There is a general tendency towards rising demands on the quality of life within the population and it the same with the oncoming generation of senior citizens. It is always necessary to ask oneself a question whether the quality of senior citizens{\crq} lives in institutional facilities is on an appropriate level and which are the factors influencing the quality of their lives. Evaluating the quality of life can be also looked upon as a subjective individual{\crq}s view of the individual aspects of his life. However, it is highly important that the living environment meets and satisfies the senior citizens{\crq} corporal, psychic, social and spiritual needs. This diploma thesis represents a continuation of the bachelor{\crq}s thesis: The quality of senior citizens{\crq} life in institutional facilities. The basic aim is to compare the quality of senior citizens{\crq} life in the institutional facility {--} the Old People{\crq}s Home of Kůsov within a period of two years. I have chosen the topic of the thesis because I have been working in an institutional facility for more than 21 years, and the quality of senior citizens{\crq} life has made me think about this problem more thoroughly. The diploma thesis includes the present state of affairs of the problems in question, the specification of hypotheses, methodology, the results of the research, discussion, conclusion, the list of the sources, key words and supplements. The description of the present state of affairs comprises the characteristic features of the senior citizens{\crq} population, senior citizens{\crq} state of health, their self-sufficiency and activities. Another concept is the quality of life. Provided that we combine the word quality with that of life, we will face the fact that various people can have and usually do have different ideas about what in fact comprises the meaning of their life, what makes their life of high quality. The quality of life is looked upon as a multi-dimensional quantity and is usually defined as a ``subjective appraisal of one{\crq}s own conditions of life{\crqq}. Further on there are institutional facilities and the new Social Care Act No. 108/2006 digest mentioned in this part. There have two hypotheses been specified in this thesis, which have been confirmed by the research. The original research sample of the year 2004 included 100 respondents: 40 men and 60 women. Within the period of two years 22 respondents died, 8 men and 14 women. These respondents were taken away from the total sample and, as a result, a new representative sample has come into being comprising 78 respondents, 32 men ans 46 women. The research was carried out by means of the method of a controlled dialogue, using a questionnaire for the users of the old people{\crq}s home, the standardized SEIQoL questionnaire and an ADL test. The results were compiled in tabular and chart form, and subsequently processed by means of the STATISTICA statistical programme. The discussion includes a summary of the research knowledge in comparison with the sources used. The conclusion comprises a summary of the complete research part. We can conclude that nowadays the quality of life in an institutional facility can reach a high level.

The thesis deals with various issues related to the allotment of elderly people care allowance. The introduction describes the current state of social policy and services; basic concepts used in this field were defined. The concept of old age and its epiphenomena were briefly and expertly characterized. The main part of the thesis is devoted to ways of obtaining, processing, allotment and functioning of the allowance for the care of elderly people in the region of Milevsko. Given the specifics of the individual Czech regions, it was necessary to describe generally the Milevsko region and to characterize the Department of Social Affairs at the Milevsko Municipal Authority, which pursuant to Czech legislation, carries out all activities associated with the agenda of the allowance for care in the defined region. The objective of the thesis was to map in detail the issues of the allowance care at various stages, i.e. from filing an application till its execution and to describe partly the subsequent use of the allowance. The details of the early stages of processing applications are described, i.e. where there are still many problematic issues. During my work on the problem, I cooperated closely with the staff at the Milevsko Municipal Authority, competent staff at the Department of Social Affairs and a selected sample of senior citizens in the locality. To achieve the set objective, I used the strategy of qualitative research, the method of interviewing and the technique of semi-controlled non-standard interviews of selected clients ? senior citizens ? with the staff of the Department of Social Affairs. The analysis of social and medical records of the client group, along with legislation for the care allowance, was used as an additional method. The outputs of the used techniques were recorded in detail and summarized using tables. The research results yielded many interesting findings; in particular it is still a relatively low general public awareness of the care allowance and it was demonstrated that the most important source of information for senior applicants was a social worker. What needs to be constantly improving is the awareness of senior citizens and their family members of what types of care and compensating aids or activities can be covered by care allowance. It is also necessary to explain to senior citizens and their families how to use the care allowance, such as checks by social workers. According to the findings, I can confirm that the care allowance is a very important factor that helps significantly to offset the dependence of senior citizens, although its amount is questionable. Another finding was seen in an irreplaceable role of the family, family members who provide the care of the elderly and the efforts of all who are involved in ensuring senior citizens can function in their natural environment, which I think is an extremely positive finding. In any case, ?horror? scenarios of abusing the care allowance were not confirmed, which confirms the fact that the control mechanisms in the legislation are relatively well adjusted. Improvements, according to the conclusions of my thesis, must be included in the inquiry stage of processing the care allowance; there is a need to combine general social methods with an extremely sensitive and personal approach to individual applicants in order to achieve optimal use of the care allowance for individuals who could stay in their natural environment as long as possible. Another area of potential development can be seen particularly in the interaction between the actors involved in the process of allotment of the care allowance, e.g. through automated processing of the agenda using electronic forms.

The diploma work addresses the topics of old age and ageing that are becoming more and more noticeable facts in the human society. Ageing population and its social consequences constitute the framework significantly reinforcing the importance and urgency of the topics of old age and ageing of an individual. We have to be aware of the needs of elderly persons and to offer them such services that will help to solve their life situations at the individual level. The subject of the diploma work is the social profile of a senior citizens' home client in the Písek district. The main aim of the work is to map selected events in the life of a senior citizens' home client and to frame his/her social profile. The theoretical part defines the basic concepts in the old age and ageing area, their classification, and their manifestations. Other points in that part include family and family system in care for the elderly and social support and social services systems. The research within the practical part took place in five senior citizens' homes in the Písek district in March through July 2011. To achieve the objectives of the work, qualitative research was performed using the inquiry method technique of semi-standardised interviews with senior citizens' homes clients and social workers. The research intention was to define the decisive events in the senior's life that had influenced substantially his/her leaving the natural social environment; to map the social relations in the senior's family before his/her placing in the senior citizens' home; and to find out the particularities of the social worker's work when accepting the client with regard to the client's individuality and his/her previous way of life. Based on in-depth analysis of the testimonies obtained and secondary analysis of data, hypotheses were set up. The results of the diploma work can be used when drawing up the Community Plan for the Písek district. They can help to identify who uses residential social services for senior citizens and in what way, and what are the senior citizens' needs. The work points out the fact that non-residential social services for the elderly must be developed to enable them to stay in their natural social environment as long as possible; the main aim being to increase the availability of such services in the whole district. Support to family relations of senior citizens' homes clients seems also very important, which puts emphasis on high quality of social workers' work, not only with the clients, but also with their families.

Die Grenzen zwischen digitalen und klassischen Informationsangeboten verschmelzen zunehmend und gleichzeitig werden mobile und nternetfähige Endgeräte zum täglichen Begleiter für alle möglichen Fragen und Themen. Jüngere Altersgruppen haben digitale Medien und mobile Endgeräte bereits fest in ihren Alltag integriert, aber auch in den älteren Generationen steigt der Anteil der Nutzer zunehmend. Durch die steigende Alltagsrelevanz und die ständige zeit- aber auch ortsunabhängige Verfügbarkeit neuer Medien verändern sich Informationsumgebungen. Eine nicht zu unterschätzende Rolle spielen dabei Online-Communities, in denen Informationen nicht nur bereitgestellt, sondern auch geteilt, bewertet und kommentiert werden können. Doch die Vielfalt möglicher Zugänge und Quellen wird auf unterschiedliche Weise genutzt. Der Zugang zu verschiedenen digitalen Quellen, die zwar nicht ausschließlich, dennoch auch durch Atersunterschiede bedingt werden. Es wird die Frage gestellt wie sich das Informationsverhalten verschiedener Altersgruppen unter den aktuellen medialen Bedingungen darstellt.

This is a qualitative, interpretive research study of how six senior citizens’ aged 70-85 describe their use and need of Smart home technology for their independent living and welfare. Data was collected through technology probing and interviews. Data analysis was done using a thematic method. The research was underpinned by the theoretical model Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2). The research setting was senior citizens’ living in Care housing rented out by the municipality owned company. The findings show that technology is perceived by the senior citizens’ to be something must be taught and takes effort. Senior housing need to be better designed for its senior tenants. It was also found that if technology is used to ensure safety, fall detection for instance, trust and sufficient support is crucial. The findings suggest it could be difficult to assess your own need and to realize when assistance technology is needed. It also found that the use of technology was perceived as being individual and as something that cannot be treated collectively. It was suggested that health professionals do have some influence on the senior citizen and their use of technology. The findings of this study was compared to previous studies and how it relates to the determinants and moderating factors suggested by the theoretical model UTAUT2.