SELF-ASSESSMENT OF ELDERLY PEOPLE ABOUT THEMSELVES AND THEIR LIVES

This study was aimed to evaluate and determine the opinions of elderly people about themselves and their lives. This qualitative study was conducted with 16 elderly people living in a nursing home in Bilecik / Turkey with a mean age of 73.50 ± 6.94 (range 65-86 years). The data were collected using “Information Form” and “Self and Life Instrument”. The responses of the participants about themselves and their lives in the study were analyzed. The findings were formed five main themes. These; "health evaluation", "psychological evaluation", "activity evaluation", "economic evaluation" and "general life evaluation". According to these evaluations, following opinions of the elderly people came to the forefront: maintaining their lives independently, living together with their family members and performing their worship were determined. It has also been determined that elderly people have different regrets for their lives. According to the results of this study, elderly people see elderly period as a period including a lot of plans and desires for their futures rather than stagnation period