Factors associated with the self‐care of home‐dwelling elderly

The purpose of this study was to examine how functional capacity, activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), life satisfaction and self-esteem are related to the self-care behaviour styles of home-dwelling elderly persons. Data were collected by qualitative interviews (self-care) and structured interviews (functional capacity, life satisfaction and self-esteem) from home-dwelling elderly persons (n=40) aged 75 or more. The persons were living in a medium-sized city in northern Finland. The qualitative data were analysed using deductive content analysis. The classification frame consisted of a theoretical classification developed in an earlier study. The categories were quantified and the relationship between the variables analysed by cross-tabulation. The persons whose self-care behaviour style was responsible, formally guided or independent carried out their daily activities without assistance from others, while those who showed abandoned self-care did not manage their daily activities without help. Life satisfaction was the highest among the formally guided persons and self-esteem among the responsible ones. Poor life satisfaction and self-esteem correlated with abandoned self-care behaviour.