Self-Regulation and Experience of Loneliness of Elderly People Who Live in Social Care Residences

Abstract

The research addresses the peculiarities of self-regulation of loneliness experience of elderly people living in care homes. The population of the study consisted of 60 elderly people (65 - 80 years old). 30 of them live in families with spouses and children and 30 persons live in the State residential social service institution. It was found that elderly people who live in the social care residence show a higher level of sense of loneliness and lower level of involvement than those living with families. Reduction of the sense of loneliness of the care home residents correlates with high level of mindfulness and using such defense mechanisms as denial and intellectualization, projection and displacement. Reduction of the sense of loneliness of the elderly people who live in families directly correlates with high mindfulness, high hardiness and usage of the following defense mechanisms: regression, projection and displacement.