The thesis primarily deals with the elderly person's perception of quality of life. The main
question I ask is: what does a person in old age need to have a sense of quality of life?
I focused most of my attention on discovering which factors of quality of life are considered
most important by the elderly and to what extent they align with the factors listed as most
important for quality of life by the employees in the respective institution or retirement home.
I verified the situation through qualitative analysis, conducted via semi-structured interviews
in one of the retirement homes. These interviews were carried out with residents and staff. The
purpose of the thesis is not only to uncover the elderly's perception of quality of life but also to
assess the conditions for a quality stay of the elderly in the retirement home and discover what
needs of the residents still exist but are not being met in the home. The results of the interviews
indicate that it is important for the quality of life of an elderly person in a retirement home to
provide services that meet their basic life needs (well-organized and quality food, appropriate
healthcare and assistance, and a sense of security), while being careful not to excessively
interfere with the individual’s autonomy and to strive to provide them with as much
independence as possible. I did not notice significant differences in the comparison of
understanding of quality of life between the residents and the staff in the retirement home.
Through my research, I have provided the social pedagogical profession with a current insight
into the practices of the selected retirement home in the field of the elderly's quality of life.
Additionally, my thesis also serves as a stimulus for considering how social pedagogical
knowledge could contribute to better organizing long-term care services and the social situation
of the elderly in general.
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