Annual of social work, Vol. 8 No. 1, 2001.
Original scientific paper
ADJUSTMENT TO THE SINGLE LIFE OF ELDERLY PERSONS
Daša Poredoš
Abstract
The global aim of this research was to establish the process of adaptation of the elderly people to the life without a spouse, that is, to single life. The research involved 230 people aged 65 and above and was conducted in six towns of County Sisačko-Moslavačka. People were divided into two groups; the first one consisted of people who had lost their spouse 6 months before the research took place (the grieving process is still present). In the second group were people who had lost their spouse three years ago (the grieving process should had been over). The research was conducted in August, September and October 2001, using the special questionnaire created specially for that purpose.
On the basis of the results, the research has shown that people in both groups had problems in adapting to the single life; they assess their adaptation to be bad or very bad. Furthermore, the length of life without a spouse does not have a significant affect on the level of adaptation because in both groups the process is still ongoing, with a doubtful outcome. Significant differences between the people of the opposite gender were shown on the educational and material status variables. Less significant were the differences in self-assessment of the physical health, the quality of the appetite and sleep, and the satisfaction with regard to the frequency of their children’s visits and the visits of the family members.
Keywords
elderly persons; widowhood; mourning; stress and adjustment
Hrčak ID:
3550
URI
Publication date:
1.11.2001.
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