Wellbeing, functional performance and personal control about care provision of non-institutionalized and institutionalized elderly

The present study is part of a broader investigation on the effects of living in a home for the elderly on functional performance and opportunities for successful aging. Community dwelling elderly and elderly living in an institution were compared concerning some indicators of successful aging: life satisfaction, positive and negative affect and physical and social wellbeing. The relationships between the different aspects of wellbeing and functional performance in every domain of functioning (instrumental and basic activities of daily living and leisure and social activities) and personal control about care provision were studied in both settings. A structured interview was administered to 74 non-institutionalized and 79 institutionalized elderly, aged 71 to 97 years, living in Flanders. Both groups showed only differences in physical and social wellbeing. Being active in the domain of leisure and social activities and self-care was positively related to wellbeing in both groups. Household tasks seemed to be a burden for community-dwellers, while they positively contributed to wellbeing in the nursing home. Personal Control was not related to wellbeing in the community. In the nursing home, ability constraints, as reason for help, were negatively correlated with wellbeing, as was "own choice" for self-care. Choosing for help and overcompensation in the household was positively related to wellbeing in the nursing home.