This study measures the level of happiness among elderly Cypriots living in their own home environments and in nursing homes. We find that the elderly living in their own home are significantly happier than the elderly living in nursing homes. On the basis of these findings, we propose that the role of social workers could be valuable regarding happiness of older Cypriots. Within the frame of the current results, we have identified a lack of alternative housing options in Cyprus that would combine home environment with adequate health and social care for older people.
AndersonK.Dabelko-SchoenyH. (2010) ‘Civic Engagement for Nursing Home Residents: A Call for Social Work Action’, Journal of Gerontological Social Work53(3): 270–82.
2.
BaltesP.MayerK. (1999) The Berlin Aging Study: Aging from 70 to 100. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Börsch-SupanA. (2004) ‘Global Aging: Issue, Answers, More Questions’, No 0
84, June. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Retirement Research Center.
5.
BowlingA.IliffeS. (2006) ‘Which Model of Successful Ageing Should Be Used? Baseline Findings from a British Longitudinal Survey of Ageing’, Journal of Age and Ageing35: 607–14.
6.
BrownieS.HorstmanshofL. (2012) ‘Creating the Conditions for Self-Fulfillment for Aged Care Residents’, Nursing Ethics19(6): 777–86.
7.
Byrne-DavisL.BennettP.WilcockG. (2006) ‘How Are Quality of Life Ratings Made? Toward a Model of Quality of Life in People with Dementia’, Quality of Life Research15: 855–65.
8.
CahillS.Diaz-PonceA. (2011) ‘I Hate Having Nobody Here. I’d like to Know Where They All Are: Can Qualitative Research Detect Differences in Quality of Life among Nursing Home Residents with Different Levels of Cognitive Impairment?’, Aging and Mental Health15(5): 562–72.
9.
CavanaughJ.Blanchard-FieldsF. (2002) Adult Development and Ageing. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Thomson Learning.
10.
ChakrabartiT. (2009) ‘Well-Being of the Older Residing in Old Age Home vs. Those in Family Setting’, The Nursing JournalC(10). Available online at: http://www.tnaionline.org/oct-09/4.htm
11.
ChoiN.RansomS.WyllieR. (2008) ‘Depression in Older Nursing Home Residents: The Influence of Nursing Home Environmental Stressors, Coping, and Acceptance of Group and Individual Therapy’, Aging and Mental Health12(5): 536–47.
12.
CrooksV.LubbenJ.PetittiD.LittleD.ChiuV. (2008) ‘Social Network, Cognitive Function, and Dementia Incidence among Older Women’, American Journal of Public Health98(7): 1221–7.
13.
CustersA.WesterhofG.KuinY.Riksen-WalravenM. (2010) ‘Need Fulfillment in Caring Relationships: Its Relation with Well-Being of Residents in Somatic Nursing Homes’, Aging and Mental Health14(6): 731–39.
14.
D’Amico-PanomeritakisD.SommerJ. (1999) ‘Promoting and Maintaining Mobility in the Homebound Older Persons Client’, in ZangS.AllemerA. (eds) Home Care of the Elderly, (Chapter 5). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott.
15.
De KlerckM. (2005) Ouderen in instellingen: Landelijk overzicht van de leefsituatie van oudere tehuisbewoners [Elderly in Institutions: National Overview of Older Residents’ Living Situation]. Den Haag: Sociaal en Cultureel Planbureau.
16.
DienerE. (2000) ‘Subjective Well-Being. The Science of Happiness and a Proposal for a National Index’, American Psychologist55: 34–43.
17.
DienerE.DienerR. (2008) Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth. New York: Wiley-Blackwell.
18.
DienerE.OishiS.LucasR. (2003) ‘Personality, Culture, and Subjective Well-Being’, Annual Review of Psychology54: 403–25.
19.
DragesetJ.NatvigG.EideG.BondevikM.NortvedtM.NygaardH. (2009) ‘Health-Related Quality of Life among Old Residents of Nursing Homes in Norway’, International Journal of Nursing Practice15: 455–66.
20.
DröesR.Boelens-Van Der KnoopE.BosJ.MeihuizenL.EttemaT.GerritsenD.De LangeJ. (2006) ‘Quality of Life in Dementia in Perspective. An Explorative Study of Variations in Opinions among People with Dementia and Their Professional Caregivers, and in Literature’, Dementia5: 533–58.
21.
Europa (2012) ‘European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations 2012 (online)’, Available online at: http://europa.eu/ey2012/ (accessed 28 March 2012).
FranklinL.TernestedtB.NordenfeltL. (2006) ‘Views on Dignity of Elder Nursing Home Residents’, Nursing Ethics13(2): 130–46.
24.
GilbertD. (2006) Stumbling on Happiness. New York: Knopf.
25.
Giles-CortiB.DonovanR. (2002) ‘The Relative Influence of Individual, Social and Physical Environment Determinants of Physical Activity’, Journal of Social Science and Medicine54(12): 1793–812.
26.
GrundyE. (2006) ‘Ageing and Vulnerable Older People: European Perspectives’, Ageing and Society26: 105–34.
27.
HanestadB. (1997) ‘Nurses’ Perceptions of the Content, Relevance and Usefulness of the Quality of Life Concept in Relation to Nursing Practice’, Nursing Science and Research in the Nordic Countries16: 17–22.
28.
Jonas-SimpsonC.MitchellG.J. (2005) ‘Giving Voice to Expressions of Quality of Life for Persons Living with Dementia through Story, Music and Art’, Alzheimer’s Care Quarterly6: 52–61.
29.
KingI. (1981) A Theory for Nursing: Systems, Concepts, Process. New York: Wiley.
30.
LarsenR.J.DienerE. (1985) ‘A Multitrait-Multimethod Examination of Affect Structure: Hedonic Level and Emotional Intensity’, Personality and Individual Differences6: 631–6.
31.
LayardR. (2005) Happiness: Lessons from a New Science. London: Penguin Press.
32.
LevineM. (1967) ‘The Four Conservation Principles of Nursing’, Nursing Forum6(1): 45–59.
33.
LundervoldD.A.LewinL.M. (1992) Behavioral Analysis and Therapy in Nursing Homes. Springfield, IL: Charles, E. Thomas.
34.
MenecV. (2003) ‘The Relation between Everyday Activities and Successful Aging: A 6-Year Longitudinal Study’, The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Science58: 74–82.
35.
MyersD.DienerE. (1995) ‘Who Is Happy?’, Psychological Science6(1): 10–9.
36.
OtsukaS.HamahataA.KomatsuM.SuishuC.OsukaK. (2010) ‘Prospects for Introducing the Eden Alternative to Japan’, Journal of Gerontological Nursing36(3): 47–55.
37.
PrinceD.ButlerD. (2007) Clarity Final Report: Aging in Place in America. Nashville, TN: Prince Market Research.
38.
RanzijnR. (2002) ‘Towards a Positive Psychology of Ageing: Potentials and Barriers’, Australian Psychologist37(2): 79–85.
39.
RoweJ.KahnR. (1998) Successful Aging. New York: Pantheon Books (Random House).
40.
RyffC. (1989) ‘Ageing beyond Ponce de Leon and Life Satisfaction: New Directions in Quest of Successful Ageing’, International Journal of Behavioral Development12(1): 35–55.
41.
SeligmanM. (2004) Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment. New York: Atria Books.
42.
SotgiuI.GalatiD.ManzanoM.RognoniE. (2010) ‘Happiness Components and Their Attainment in Old Age: A Cross-Cultural Comparison between Italy and Cuba’, Journal of Happiness Studies12: 353–71.
TateR.LahL.CuttyT. (2003) ‘Definition of Successful Aging by Older Canadian Males: The Manitoba Follow-up Study’, The Gerontologist43: 735–44.
45.
TriandisH.C. (2000) ‘Cultural Syndromes and Subjective Well-Being’, in Diener E.E.SuhM. (eds) Culture and Subjective Well-Being, pp. 13–36. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
46.
TuckettA. (2007) ‘The Meaning of Nursing-Home: ‘Waiting to Go Up to St. Peter, OK! Waiting House, Sad but True’ - An Australian Perspective’, Journal of Aging Studies21(2): 119–33.
47.
UchidaY.NorasakkunkitV.KitayamaS. (2004) ‘Cultural Constructions of Happiness: Theory and Empirical Evidence’, Journal of Happiness Studies5: 223–39.
48.
United Nations (2002) Report of the Second World Assembly on Ageing A/CONF.197/9. New York: United Nations.
49.
VeenhovenR. (2000) ‘Freedom and Happiness: A Comparative Study in Forty-Four Nations in the Early 1990s’, in DienerE.SuhM. (eds) Culture and Subjective Well-Being, pp. 257–88. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.