The Important Things in the Life of Older People: Elderly Women in Social Houses and Home Care

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyze the aging experiences of elderly women in Estonia and the factors influencing them. The assessments of two groups using social services are compared—the elderly living in Tallinn’s social houses and the elderly receiving care at home. From February to August 2011, a total of 80 elderly women were interviewed. Inhabitants of social houses find that their old age is satisfying more often (65% of the inhabitants of social houses and 40% of the people in home care). Many home care clients were convinced that it is best to spend old age among loved ones and in a familiar environment. Those living at home have many difficulties, which is why 20% of them are on a waiting list to go to a social house. Home services should include services with which the inhabitants of social houses are very satisfied.

KEYWORDS:

• elderly women
• receiving social services
• coping with life
• suggestions for satisfying aging

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to thank the elderly people for their willingness to share their life stories in interviews and thereby make it possible to carry out this study.

FUNDING

This research was not funded by a specific project grant, but rather from resources available to Tallinn University in the framework of doctoral studies programs.