In my master's thesis, I researched the meaning of life in old age. The task is to continue and expand my thesis entitled Experiencing age and finding the meaning of life of an elderly person. I presented the age levels, the demography of aging in Europe and Slovenia, and how intergenerational connections and a healthy lifestyle affect a well-lived age. I paid special attention to making life meaningful. I researched the field of making sense of and meaningful life of old people living in an institutional environment (Old People’s Home - Dom upokojencev Ptuj) and those living in a home environment. I was interested in comparing the way of thinking and experiencing the meaning of life between the mentioned groups of people. I made a comparison between the residents of the Ptuj Old Peoople’s Home, who participated in the survey in 2019, and compared the results of the same persons with the results of the present survey from 2021. I used an interview and a PIL test as a measuring instrument. The research is quantitative and qualitative.
The final finding of the research is that the elderly people living in old people’s home in 2019 and 2021 have changed the experience and meaning of their lives. A comparison between the elderly people living at home and those living in the institutional environment indicates a higher presence of a living vacuum. Those who live at home have clearer and more satisfying goals in life. For most old people who live at home, the meaning of life is represented by family and maintaining contact. They feel satisfied with their lives. They attach great importance to intergenerational connections, mostly with family members. Caring for physical and mental health is important and beneficial to them, as health allows them to stay independent.
Based on the results of the research, I find that people live a better and more independent life in their home environment. I suggest that older people live in their home for as long as possible, as this preserves their autonomy and independence, which strengthens their physical and mental health. The environment they know and are happy with contributes to this. As a result, intergenerational connections will be maintained both between family members and people from the surrounding area.
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