What makes the elderly happy?

When it comes to making elderly people happy, nothing beats good health, high income, and the ability to get around. Researchers at Ohio State University found that these were the strongest factors in determining the psychological well-being of people aged 60 to 90--more important than neighborhood satisfaction and having close contact with friends, family, and neighbors.

"Nice neighborhoods and social support are important for older people. But they often need resources such as health, income, and mobility to take advantage of them," indicates professor of nursing Patricia Schwirian. She and her husband, professor of sociology Kent Schwirian, examined 254 randomly selected older adults from the Columbus, Ohio, area who did not live in nursing homes. Well-being was measured by asking respondents how satisfied they were with their lives and how active they currently were.

The results showed that the three personal resources studied were about equally important in contributing to well-being. The value of good health, education, and high income are obvious, but mobillity is one personal resource for elderly people that often is overlooked, Kent Schwirian indicates. "The car is as much, if not more, a symbol of independence to elders as it is to teenagers."...