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related to the acquisition of a certain level of education and
saturation of educational needs in the adulthood/senior age).
Regarding the relationship to the seniors, there is a frequent
discussion about the quality of their life (e.g. Balogová, 2005;
Heřmanová, 2012; Escuder-Mollón, Cabedo, (eds.), 2014; Határ,
2014 etc.). Satisfaction and well-being in different areas of life
are generally understood as common denominators of the
majority of definitions of the quality of life and, at the same
time, they represent the key elements of the indicators of the
individual quality of life (Tokárová, 2002, p. 26). We found out
in the research that 76,45% of respondents were satisfied with
their own life, 19,69% of seniors were not satisfied with their
own life and 3,86% of respondents did not answer the question.
J. Džuka (2004, p. 42) describes more precisely the relationship
between the quality of life and the subjective well-being. In
general, he differentiates three constructs and these are the
objective quality of life (i.e. the objective conditions of life of the
individual), the subjective quality of life (i.e. individually
assessed conditions of life of the individual) and the subjective
well-being (conditions of life evaluated with the emotional
system). M. Zimermanová (2013, p. 23-27) experimentally
verified the influence of the cooperative programme of the
educational character, which was created by her, on the quality
of life of the institutionalized seniors, on the frequency of
positive emotions and non-emotional states and the frequency of
negative emotions and non-emotional states of seniors. She
found out that the programme she had suggested, did not
improve the quality of life of the institutionalized seniors nor the
frequency of positive emotions and non-emotional states SEHP,
but it decreased the frequency of their negative emotions and
non-emotional states SEHP. According to the author, the results
of her research could be influenced by the external non-tested
variables.
Z. Bútorová et al. (2013, p. 305) mention that the level of
satisfaction of people aged 45 - 64 years with their own life
situation „cannot be perceived as a true reflection of the
objective state of social and economic conditions of life, but it
expresses mainly the personal definition of the life situation of
the individual“. The authors also say that „education is a quite
important factor. Generally it is valid that more educated people
are more satisfied with their life. This influence is reflected the
most significantly in their evaluation of the working life as well
as in the general feeling from their life, the satisfaction with their
social life and their participation in the public life“ (Bútorová et
al., 2013, p. 305).
Based on these mentioned facts we assumed that the satisfaction
of the institutionalized seniors with their own life will be
statistically significantly related to their need to further educate
themselves.
Table. 2: Relationship between the satisfaction with their life
and the need of seniors to further educate themselves
chi-squared testing
statistics
p-value of the test’s
importance
test’s
importance
2,8534
0,2401
-
Source: Author’s own research
It was proved with the statistical testing that the satisfaction (as
an indicator of the quality of life) that was felt by the
institutionalized seniors regarding their own life is not
statistically related to their need to further educate themselves
(since the level of importance is higher than 0,05) and based on
this fact we reject this hypothesis.
We also asked the respondents why they are not satisfied with
their own life. From their answers, which we processed, it is
evident that unfavourable health condition, limited mobility and
immobility. loneliness, bad relationships with their roommates
and family-related reasons caused their dissatisfaction with their
own life. We perceive the mentioned reasons as objective ones
because,
in the longer term it was also proved by the checking of
the need of seniors to further educate themselves that the health
condition (health problems) and age (the old age) play a very
important role in this matter. However, there appeared unusual
reasons as well, such as, for example, not enough cigarettes, the
death of a son or the impossibility to go wherever the client
wants to go. In spite of the fact that there was not verified any
connection between the satisfaction of seniors with their own life
and their need to further educate themselves, it does not mean
that the educational could not influence the life of the
institutionalized seniors in a positive way,
just on the contrary. It
was also proved with the research findings of M. Lenhardtová et
al. (2015, p. 174) who tested the influence of the co-educational
cooperative programme on institutionalized children and seniors.
They found out that the general satisfaction of the senior clients
was increased after the application of this programme.
Instead of the conclusion
„However, the education of seniors is not and cannot be
primarily oriented on the professional preparation, but it fulfils
a whole range of not less important functions“ (Haškovcová,
2010, p. 129). R. Čornaničová (1998, p. 68-70) mentions the
preventive, anticipative, rehabilitation, adaptation, reinforcing,
communicative, compensation, activating, relaxing, cultural-
cultivating, social-psychological and intergenerationally
understanding functions. It has also been proved by the research
that the educational activities have a very significant meaning for
the institutionalized seniors. By means of these activities, the
seniors frequently avoid inaction and boredom (46,72%), they
take a rest and relax (28,57%), they communicate and share
their experience (27,41%). Thanks to the education, more than
23% of seniors keep their body and mind fit, almost 23% of
respondents broaden their horizons of knowledge by means of
education and almost 21% of respondents participate in overall
social activities and they do not think about their own problems
thank to the educational activities (Határ, 2014, p. 50).
Regarding this fact, we highly recommend so that the education
becomes an obligatory service which will be provided in the
facilities of social services to their senior clients by means of
qualified andragogues.
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