Pensioners' quality of life in social care houses.
BACKGROUND
Elderly people need special and complex dental care. They have the right to a dignified life and for the dental care. In elderly the need for social and family support grows. However, many seniors live their last stages of life in the Social Care Houses. Governmental institutions fail to provide full support to seniors since almost the entire psychosocial domain is neglected. Social Care Houses, despite having the word "home" in its name, are only institutions providing the patients with nursing care. The aim of the work was to study the quality of life and psychosocial status in residents of Social Care Houses.


METHODS
The study enrolled 135 individuals aged from 66 to 87 years.


RESULTS
It was found that the quality of life in residents of Social Care Houses was low and their psychosocial status was poor. Majority of the studied individuals did not like their life so far. They were overwhelmed by the feeling of tiredness, loneliness and fear about tomorrow. Despite feeling lonely the residents of Social Care Houses showed strong tendency towards isolation. Low psychical and physical activity influenced negatively the psychosocial status of the seniors. It seems that psychotherapists should be the staff members in the Social Care Houses.


CONCLUSIONS
1. The quality of pensioners' life in Social Care Houses does not offer happy existence to them. 2. The pensioners' psychosocial state is poor in Social Care Houses. 3. It seems that Social Care Houses should employ psychotherapists.
Zakład Protetyki Stomatologicznej Pomorskiej Akademii Medycznej w Szczecinie al. Powstańców Wlkp. 72, 70-111 Szczecin.
Bogumiła
B
Fraczak
Barbara
B
Stawska
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003376:Counseling; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011044:Poland; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011613:Psychotherapy; D011788:Quality of Life; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support