Contributing factors toward SWB of the Institutionalized Elderly Essay

Apart from delineating the cognitive and affective indicators of SWB, this accept also attempted to identify the affirmable factors which precede to SWB. A host of factors were identified in the largely western literature. These ar presented in the succeeding pages. visible Health Health is peerless of the most important variables in predicting whether people are happy (Campbell et al. , 1976). The human Health Organization defines health as, the optimal functioning of the human organism to meet biological, psychological, ethical and spiritual needs (Emeth & Greenhut, 1991).In this study the antique were said to birth optimal functioning when he or she had basic competence, which was necessary for maintenance of independent living (Martin, 2001). In the carapace of the elderly in the study it was denoted by their ability for individualized allot on their own. It also pertained to mental health, which was a state where the elderly were not pr 1 to depression, or other ment al illness, and did not have any major cognitive impairments. Autonomy Autonomy could be equated to having the capacity for selfdetermination, independence, internal locus of restrainer, and internal regulation of behavior (Ryff, 1989).Having a sense of being in control (autonomy) means that ones thoughts and actions are ones own and not determined by others. It is related to physical health too as it gives a sense of mastery over situations. It is important for all and particularly for the elderly to maintain that sense of control or autonomy because a sense of losing control of ones life or ones power is to in some ways lose ones worth, which can have detrimental effect on ones physical as well as psychological health. Money/Income Income or silver is importantly related to a sense of upbeatin former(a) age (Diener, 1984) and the elderly in the study may or may not enjoy pecuniary security Money is important probably because of the sense of security that they experience when they have enough money which could implicitly affect their sense of autonomy and self-worth. Family Relationships Family is a natural institution constant across clock and space which is a very close and intimate gathering and ones sense of eudaemonia is sustained by membership in this primary group, as it provides a sense of security, connectedness, and belongingness to the aged.There are no substitutes for the close relationship in the experience of well-being in the case of the aged. In the case of the elderly in the study, family relationship is limited to this intimate group consisting of the spouse, children and grandchildren as the extended family is almost devoid in the given context. Friendship Friendship or close relationship with members of the same age group often sharing personal characteristics, life styles, values and experiences is a source of enjoyment, socializing, and reminiscing the past promote a higher satisfaction among the older adults (Sorensen & Pinquar t, 2000).In the given situation it could be long standing friends from the past, and or the friendship developed among the co-residents of the home. Social Support and Social Interest To experience a sense of well-being persons should have tardily feeling of sympathy, and affection for human beings (social interest/altruism). That is, their ability to go beyond the personal to interpersonal establishing deep, profound interpersonal relationships and social support, to transpersonal, which is relating to the Divine in the social context of ones life.These play a significant role in maintaining their psychological, social, and physical integrity over time (Witmer & Sweeny, 1992) and so the sense well-being. Attitude toward Death Death can be understood as a natural process of transition from one stage of life to another. Depending on the meaning people attach to death, they misgiving death or embrace it as a natural transition with a sense of credenza and surrender (Atchley, 1997) . Accepting old age and death meaningfully makes life happier. Fear or acceptance of death is closely related to general satisfaction.According to (Moberg, 2001), when life is lived to the full, death becomes a fulfillment, a completion. religion and phantasmality Subjective aspects of religion and spirituality include religious identification, religious attitudes, values, beliefs, knowledge, and mystical/religious experiences. sacred experience provides a sense of meaning and purpose in daily life (Polner, 1989). Spirituality ordinarily refers to a unique, personally meaningful experience of a transcendent dimension that is associated with wholeness and wellness (Westgate, 1996).Spiritual wellness is the dimension that permits the integration of ones spirituality with the other dimensions of life, thus maximizing the potential drop for growth and self-actualization (Westgate, 1996). At this point of SWB research, there is already an idea of the variables which correlate with S WB. However, a better thought of parameters that influences the relationships, the directions of influences between variables, and the different influences interact are still needed (Diener, 1984). Given the assumption that these features are deepcross-cultural, universally applicable, core characteristic features of well being sought by the aged, the researcher believed that the institutionalise care for the aged and their subjective sense of well-being is also context specific. An understanding of psychological well-being unavoidably rely upon the moral visions that are culturally embedded and frequently culture specific (Christopher, 1999). In this context, one might ask how the institutionalized aged of Gladys Spellman experience the transition from mathru-pithru devobhava(mother and father are like gods) to institutionalized care, what their experience of the subjective well-being consisted in, and what might be the specific factors that would contribute to their sense of we ll being. It is possible that the western culture-specific factors of subjective well-being outlined above may not have the same relevance for the population under investigation. This study was expected to help understand the contextspecific aspects of well-being of the institutionalized aged.