Abstract
With the advent of aging population, the quality of life of older adults has become an ever more imperative focus of research. However, the impact of a sense of home on the quality of life of older adults has not received the full recognition it deserves yet. The present study is based on the following assumptions (1) older adults living in residential care facilities would have a better understanding of how it feels like to live in one’s home precisely because of living away from home; (2) older adults living at home would be affected in terms of quality of life by their subconscious perceptions of sense of home despite lacking an explicit familiarity with the concept. This study aims to identify the concept of a sense of home and evaluate its impact on the quality of life of older adults. To this end, through a qualitative analysis of participant interviews, we extracted the main themes of a sense of home for older adults dwelling in residential care facilities in Tabriz, Iran. Also, to ensure reliability, we tested the extracted themes quantitatively and interviewed a questionnaire in a wider statistical population. Our findings indicate that on the one hand, older adults feel satisfied with the residential aspect of where they live if they are provided with privacy, easily navigable routes, collective spaces, mental health. On the other, they can also achieve physical, social, and mental health and feel satisfied with the care provision dimension of where they live if they are provided with internal and external facilities such as easily walkable paths to avoid collapsing or injury, accessible health care options, chances of social interaction, as well as peace and serenity. The conclusion is that by providing a context for privacy, social interaction, independence, and memorability, a place can leave a positive impact on self-esteem, happiness, life satisfaction, and ultimately quality of life among older adults.
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