Graduate work

Topic: Adaptation of older people in modern society through leisure

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1. THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF STUDYING THE PROCESS OF ADAPTATION OF AN ELDERLY PERSON IN THE MODERN WORLD

1.1. Characteristics of the situation of older people in modern society

1.2. Features of the process of adaptation of an elderly person in modern society

CHAPTER 2 IMPLEMENTATION OF A SYSTEM OF RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES WITH ELDERLY CITIZENS

2.1. Studying the experience of adapting older people to modern society through leisure activities

2.2. Analysis of practical experience in the adaptation of older people using the example of the railway integrated center for social services for the population "Raduga" of the Trans-Baikal Territory

CONCLUSION

APPLICATION

INTRODUCTION

During the last decades of the twentieth century and at the beginning of the twenty-first century, humanity was faced with the problem of a significant increase in life expectancy and a constant increase in the number of elderly people. According to the UN, the proportion of elderly people in the population of developed countries is already up to 20%, and the aging process of humanity is accelerating.

A change in the social status of a person in old age, caused primarily by the cessation or limitation of work, changes in value guidelines, the very way of life and communication, the emergence of difficulties in social, everyday, psychological adaptation to new conditions, requires the need to develop special approaches, forms and methods of social working with older people.

Currently, older people have become the most socially vulnerable category of society. The level of poverty is growing every month, but the incomes of older citizens remain almost the same.

In the last decade, due to the increase in human life expectancy, interest in gerontological problems has noticeably increased. The need to maintain an active life in old age is one of the
current topics of modern scientific research. In this context, issues such as aging factors (cessation of work activity, narrowing of the usual social circle, etc.), adaptation to new external conditions, decreased intellectual capabilities, preferred coping mechanisms (mechanisms of coping with difficult situations), etc. are considered (M D. Aleksandrova, L. I. Antsiferova, L. V. Borozdina, O. V. Krasnova, S. G. Maksimova, N. N. Sachuk, N. P. Petrova, etc.).

The solution to the problem of sociocultural development of older people in the modern social context must be sought in the sphere of leisure. This is due to the fact that in old age, in most cases, the structure of life changes. Due to the early termination of work, the educational and professional labor spheres may completely drop out of it, and the domestic sphere may be significantly reduced due to progress in medical and consumer services. All this leads to a significant increase in the amount of free time.

A significant role in the development of this topic in recent years has been played by domestic authors Arymbaeva K.M., Bestuzhev-Lada I.V., Belokon O.V., Vasilyeva E.P., Gekht I.A., Gregor O., Gudkov N.V., Dementyeva N.F., Dichev T.G., Karsaevskaya T.V., Kiseleva T.G., Kozlova T.Z., Krasnova O.V., Markovkina S.G., Martsinkovskaya T. .D., Molevich E.F., Morozov G.V., Pushkova E.S., Roshchak K., Strashnikova K.A., Tulchinsky M.M., Kholostova E.I., Khozina Zh.V. ., Shabalin V.N., Shatalova E.Yu. and others. Their works reveal in detail the issues of social and socio-psychological adaptation of older people, the features of their leisure time, the theory and practice of social work with older people, the problems of developing positive attitudes in society towards older people. IN scientific research of the last decade, topical issues of the role of older people in modern society, sociocultural status, health status, and organization of care are addressed. These works contribute to the formation of views of a conceptual nature.

Purpose of the study: to study the potential of leisure activities as a factor in the successful adaptation of older people in modern society.

Object of study: adaptation of older people.

Subject of research: adaptation of older people in modern society through leisure.

Research objectives:

1. Analyze the scientific literature on the problem

2. Reveal the situation of older people at the present stage

3. Characterize the process of adaptation of older people in modern society.

4. Study the experience of specialized centers with older people

5. Analyze the experience of organizing leisure time using the example of the Railway Integrated Center for Social Services for the Population “Raduga” in the Trans-Baikal Territory.

Hypothesis: Cultural and leisure activities, which have a huge baggage of forms and methods of cultural development of the individual and socializing influence on it, can optimize the life activity of older people, stimulate their intellectual and physical activity, develop creative abilities, and contribute to the effective process of adaptation in the modern world.

Novelty of the research:

Practical significance: We have systematized and summarized the views of domestic and foreign researchers in the field. Based on the studied features of the adaptation process in old age, the influence of various forms of leisure on the optimization of adaptation processes in old age, recommendations have been developed for specialists dealing with this problem. The materials and results of the study can be used in the practical activities of specialized services and centers.

CHAPTER 1. THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS

STUDYING THE PROCESS OF ADAPTATION IN AN ELDERLY PERSON IN

IN THE MODERN WORLD

1.1. Characteristics of the situation of older people in modern

society

Of particular importance for characterizing the situation of older people are the demographic processes occurring in this social group. In recent decades, Russia has experienced demographic aging, i.e. The share of elderly and old people in the total population is increasing. Demographic aging is caused by long-term changes in the nature of population reproduction. A distinction is made between “aging from below”, which usually occurs due to a gradual reduction in the number of children being born, and “aging from above”, caused by an increase in the number of old people as a result of a reduction in mortality in old age with a low birth rate. In addition, population migration also contributes to demographic aging, since it affects certain age groups, and the death of a huge number of young people in various hostilities.

According to the classification proposed by the Polish demographer E. Rosset, among the countries of the world there are “demographically young”, in which the proportion of people aged 65 years and older is less than 4% and less than 8% (with an age threshold of 60 years and older). Countries where this share is 4-7% (or 8-12%) are considered “demographically mature”, and “demographically old” - from 7% and above (or more than 12%).

In our country, the general increase in the number and proportion of older people occurs against the background of a decrease in average life expectancy. In the Russian Federation there are more than 30 million people over working age. Older people are a rapidly growing socio-demographic group, making up one fifth of the country's population. Since 2000, the share of people of retirement age has exceeded the share of children under 15 years of age. In the future, this excess will increase. The proportion of older people is expected to remain relatively stable between now and 2008. In the period until 2016, a steady increase in the number of older people in the population is predicted.

The aging population places new demands on medical, communal, household, cultural and other types of services, i.e. to all elements of social infrastructure.

The problems of the elderly in modern society are usually considered as a consequence of industrialization and urbanization. According to T. Hareven, such explanations are quite simplified. She proposes to study the problems of aging in connection with historical shifts in three areas of individual life: localization in historical time, efficiency in the world of work, social orientations and family functions in relation to the elderly. In turn, it is necessary to consider the following cultural and social factors that determine, firstly, the specifics of the aging process, and secondly, the position of the elderly in society: property ownership and income, strategic knowledge, efficiency, mutual dependence, traditions and religion, loss roles and role uncertainty, loss of the future. Property ownership and income. Income is what the economy of an elderly person rests on, and if there is no income, then the elderly person falls into an oppressed group and is entirely dependent on the charity of society. Property is the basis for ensuring the independence and security of an older person.

In the mass consciousness, the role of a pensioner, widower, or simply an elderly person is very unclear and there are no corresponding role expectations in society. When a person ages, society and the family as a social unit do not make any demands on him, reject him, thereby depriving him of a certain role and changing his status. Role ambiguity demoralizes older people. It deprives them of social identity and often Negative influence on psychological stability. After all, the daily routine life of the elderly is not the fulfillment of any role. And in addition, unstructured situations in late life cause depression and anxiety, as older people feel a vacuum of social expectations and a lack of norms for them. Old age is a stage in the life cycle where systematic social losses occur and there are no gains. The main tasks of life are completed, responsibility decreases, dependence increases. These losses are associated with illness and physical illness. These losses and correlates of dependence, isolation and demoralization progressively increase in later life. They clearly show the older person a decrease in participation in social life and an increase in his marginality. Losing roles. The moral system of modern Western civilization gives preference to youth, energy, enthusiasm and innovation as the antipodes of passive, inert old-fashioned old age. All these values, together with self-confidence, autonomy and independence, are transmitted during socialization to new generations, who internalize age-related stereotypes along with the internalization of new role functions. From this point of view, old age is represented as a loss of social roles.

Upon retirement, a person loses one of his main roles - he ceases to be the “breadwinner” in the family, a worker in the social sense. In modern society, work activity performs a number of functions. It not only provides a person with a means of subsistence and gives a certain status, but also realizes the social activity of the individual. At the level of the individual, it is considered as the ability to consciously identify and assert one’s place in the system of social relations and self-realization. Social activity is a measure of social activity and its goal is to realize the interests of societies, the individual as a member of a given social community. For any person, work activity is a prerequisite for his usefulness, interesting life, and creative activity. Therefore, work is also necessary for the elderly, whose range of personal interests is significantly limited and narrowed.

The retirement period of life is often considered as a crisis period in a person’s life. The ongoing significant change in life situation is associated with both external factors (the appearance of free time, changes in social status) and internal ones (awareness of the age-related decline in physical and mental strength, dependent position on society and family). These changes require a person to rethink values, attitude towards himself and the environment, and search for new ways to implement activity. For some, this process takes a long time, painfully, accompanied by worries, passivity, inability to find new activities, find new contacts, take a fresh look at themselves and the world around them. Another category of pensioners, on the contrary, adapts quickly and is not inclined to dramatize the transition to a retirement lifestyle. They make full use of their increased free time and find a new social environment.

Characterizing the position of older people in society, researchers (V. Alperovich, M.E. Elutina, A.G. Leaders, etc.) note that it noticeably worsened in the second half of the twentieth century. Unfortunately, it is also noted that respect for age is disappearing in society, giving way to indifference and hostility towards older people. The negative assessment of citizens of the older generation is facilitated by the increased propaganda of the youth subculture by the media, while at the same time imposing on older people the role of social ballast, which is not true.

The problem of aging is international in nature. Therefore, it is no coincidence that in 1991 the UN Principles for Older Persons were adopted, and in 1992 - practical strategy UN Global Goals on Aging to 2001. In addition, the UN declared 1999 the International Year of Older Persons. Since that time, the Day of Older People has been celebrated annually in Russia.

One of the most important indicators of an elderly person’s position in society is his family status. Social and economic instability in our society has led to the fact that older people seek protection only in the family. Some sociologists classify the family of older people depending on what kind of environment they have around them and what is the main source of their income.

According to E.I. Kholostova, with retirement, older people’s usual life patterns change, and not only material, but also psychological difficulties arise. Sometimes this leads to a feeling of loneliness and uselessness. Most often it occurs as a result of the death of one of the spouses.

The problem of loneliness has worsened with the deterioration of the socio-economic situation in the country. An increasing number of older citizens consider themselves lonely, thrown to the margins of life. It is especially difficult for them to endure the severance of social ties that occur as a result of inadequate communication and inadequacy of the content to the needs of the individual.

When characterizing the position of older people in modern society, the concept of “lifestyle” is often used as a system of life activities of a given social group, determined by the socio-economic conditions of their life: work, everyday life, social life and culture. The lifestyle of older people also consists of other indicators associated with data on the level and quality of their life. Standard of living is an economic category that expresses the degree of satisfaction of the material and cultural needs of older people, the provision of consumer goods, which are characterized primarily by quantitative indicators (the size of the pension, the volume of real consumption of goods and services, the level of consumption of food and non-food products, housing conditions, etc. ). Quality of life is a sociological category, indicating the satisfaction of the material and cultural needs of older people (quality of food and clothing, comfort of housing, settlement structure, etc.).

The onset of old age is a source of increased social risk for an individual; the problems of older people have objective grounds and require constant attention and the search for additional material, human and other resources. They have a weak tendency to minimize, since older people are one of the most significant socio-demographic groups of the population. In Russia, where every ninth citizen is over 65 years of age, the aging of the population is a factor directly affecting the progress of reforms. In improving the social status of older people, there are objective difficulties associated with the economic situation.

With retirement, an elderly person inevitably faces a number of problems associated not only with changes in income, but also with getting used to a new social status, adapting the material and material environment to diminishing physical capabilities, and the emergence of necessary everyday difficulties.

The transition of a person to the group of older people significantly changes his relationship with society and such value-normative concepts as the purpose and meaning of life, goodness and happiness, and so on. People's lifestyles are changing significantly. Previously, they were connected with society, production, social activities - as pensioners (by age), they, as a rule, lose their constant connection with production. However, as members of society they remain involved in certain activities in various spheres of social life.

Retirement is especially difficult for people whose work activity was highly valued in the past, but now (for example, in modern Russian conditions) is considered unnecessary and useless. Practice shows that a break from work in some cases negatively affects the health, vitality, and psyche of people.

As a survey of lonely elderly people shows, their psychological problems are as follows: they experience difficulties communicating with social workers and neighbors; are prone to suicide; they suffer from depression due to the collapse of the ideals of their youth and their entire lives; experience a feeling of guilt in front of deceased loved ones; experience fear of death and fear of being buried unworthy.

Entry into old age is accompanied for some by a sharp change, for others by a smooth change in occupation, lifestyle and lifestyle, financial situation and other living conditions. The most important (landmark) event for most older people, which radically changes their lifestyle and position in society, is retirement. Actually, for many, this very fact marks the onset of old age - the next life cycle.

Many people cannot stand a sudden change in their usual way of life, and death soon after retirement is a fairly common phenomenon, especially among men. Retirement is accompanied by downward social mobility.

The lifestyle of older people is largely determined by how they spend their free time and what opportunities society creates for this. By actively engaging in social activities, older people make their lives more fulfilling. In this sense, it is useful to involve older people in the work of various societies, in organizing meetings, radio and television programs specifically for older people, in working with children and youth, and so on, but the main daily activity of pensioners mainly becomes home (help with work , housekeeping and child care), health, passive recreation and entertainment.

Living together with children and related assistance plays a significant role in the survival of the elderly. In this regard Family status is another important indicator of the position of an elderly person in society. The level of his social and everyday needs, the degree and forms of their satisfaction largely depend on whether an elderly person lives with children, shares the joys and worries of old age with a life partner, or whether loneliness is the fate of old age.

According to sociological research, 75% of older people have children - support in old age. Three quarters of pensioners have children living with them or in another place in the same locality. Proximity to the place of residence plays a big role in making life easier for the elderly, especially those losing the ability to self-care. Among those in need of outside help, every second person receives it constantly or from time to time; 22% have relatives, but do not receive any help from them. Finally, 15% do not expect help through these related channels due to complete loneliness.

With age, the social circle of older people sharply narrows. Most often, only a narrow family circle remains. Elderly people, free from everyday work in production, are most often engaged in raising their grandchildren.

The well-being of older people is largely determined by the existing atmosphere in the family - benevolent or unfriendly, normal or abnormal, by how responsibilities in the family are distributed between grandparents, their children and grandchildren.

The changing position of older people in families is now largely determined by changes in the world. In modern conditions, when a scientific and technological revolution is taking place, the accumulated experience of the older generation does not have the same practical significance. More educated youth look at the older generation differently, not showing the same respect. However, sensitivity, attention to elders, and mutual respect in the family are determined, first of all, by the general culture of family members, the atmosphere that develops in society at various stages of its functioning.

The well-being of an elderly person is largely determined by his marital status.

The meaning of marriage and family is not the same at different stages of a person’s life. An elderly person needs a family, primarily due to the need for communication, mutual assistance, due to the need to organize and maintain life. This is explained by the fact that an elderly person no longer has the same strength, the same energy, cannot bear the load, often gets sick, needs special nutrition and self-care.

When it comes to older people, the main motive for marriage is similarity of views and characters, mutual interests, and the desire to get rid of loneliness (1/3 of singles in our country are people over 60 years old).

According to the 2002 population census, in the Russian Federation there were significantly more men who got married (71.8%) compared to women (59.7%). While the proportion of married men aged 50-59 was 87%, the proportion of women of this age was only 67.3%. Men aged 60-69 years old were married, 87.3% of their total number, and women - 48.1%; those aged 70 years and older were 74.5% and 16.2%, respectively.1

According to government statistics, the increase in the number of late marriages is determined mainly by high rates of divorce, which is primarily characteristic of urban residents. As a rule, these are remarriages.

Older men are significantly more likely to marry than older women.

This is primarily explained by age-sex disproportions, a significant quantitative predominance of women over men, not only due to the higher mortality of the latter, but also due to military losses (in our country, in particular, in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945).

The next reason is that men in most cases marry younger women. This is explained mainly by the psychophysiological characteristics of male and female organisms.

The marital composition of the elderly population is very important for analyzing the problem of loneliness. However, an unmarried elderly person can have a family.

From the point of view of the younger generation, a sharp narrowing of their social circle is a situation close to house arrest or self-isolation. But the elderly themselves do not perceive this situation so tragically. 70% of older people say that communication with children is enough for them, a quarter complains that they see their children less often than they would like. There is also the opposite judgment (3%) - there is too much communication, they get bored and interfere with each other.

Census data show that the majority of older married couples live separately from their children. A significant proportion of widowed and divorced fathers (mothers) in the families of their children in rural areas is larger than in the city. At the same time, the tendency to separate complex families is strengthening both in the city and in the countryside.

One of the characteristic features of the period of old age and senility, both in relatively healthy and sick people, is the onset of socio-psychological disadaptation. It is the change in the social status of an elderly person - retirement, loss of close relatives, difficulties in connection with self-care, deterioration of the economic situation - that violates the usual life stereotypes, requires the mobilization of one’s own physical and mental reserves, which at this age are significantly reduced, all this has a strong impact on the psyche of an old man. The inability to independently cope with everyday worries leads to dependence on other people, which causes many old people to feel inferior, powerless, and unwilling to continue existing. The emerging dependence of the elderly person on the family becomes obvious. With the appearance of various diseases, this dependence only worsens, and in some situations, old people find themselves almost completely dependent. Their relationships with other family members begin to be complex from an economic, moral, and psychological point of view.

This situation is due to the evolution of family relationships, reflecting socio-economic changes in modern society. In the 20th century, there was a tendency towards the loss of the role of the multigenerational family, in which the elderly occupied a place of honor, and different generations within the same family built their relationships on the basis of mutual assistance, mutual benefit, and mutual enrichment. Old people increasingly began to live separately from children, and those who live with family members and relatives more often complain of a feeling of loneliness than those living alone.

In this regard, the desire of older people to live independently is understandable, allowing them to preserve themselves as individuals and to a greater extent feel their independence. For such old people, the status of living alone is psychologically more comfortable than the feeling of loneliness in the family.

The steady increase in the share of older people in the world population structure has led to the formation of new ideas about old age and the role of older people in social development.

The modern system of views on the state’s obligations towards older people is based on universal humanistic values, the idea of ​​human rights for people of all ages and serves as the basis for political decisions and specific measures to support older people at the interstate and national levels.

The central principle is the socially acceptable and realistically possible combination of the full participation of older people in the life of society, care for them by public and state institutions, provision of legal conditions to meet their needs and realize the potential accumulated throughout life. Respect for older people, care for them, a positive attitude towards old age, formed from childhood, along with readiness for its onset, is recognized as the norm for every person and society as a whole.

Older people make a multifaceted contribution to the social development of Russia, welcome positive changes in modern society, show interest in social, cultural and economic life, support generational solidarity and are guardians of spiritual and moral values, retain the ability to perform feasible work, the readiness to transfer experience and replenish the resources spent on ensuring their livelihoods.

The reality of today is the constant presence of many older people among us. There is a decisive shift away from the view of older people as a burden on Russian society, with further progress possible in the context of a society for people of all ages.

From the above, we can draw the following conclusion that the fundamental and demographic changes that have occurred over the past hundred years indicate the transformation of the older age group into a significant part of society. The problems of older people at the present stage relate to the sphere of work, everyday life, family policy and even the social policy of the state.

1.2 Features of the process of adaptation of an elderly person to

modern stage

The problem of socialization and socio-psychological adaptation of older people is currently one of the most pressing not only for psychological science, but also for society as a whole. The study of the characteristics of the course of a crisis in old age in people in different public and social situations allows us to identify new, hitherto unknown factors and patterns of the genesis of the psyche. From the point of view of social practice, for a society, especially a society experiencing a transition period, the psychological comfort and stability of a large group of people, which has been increasing in recent decades, serve as important indicators of social order and a factor of social stability.

Changes in the living conditions of aging people due to transition processes in society, as well as retirement, have confronted them with the need to adapt to these processes. Despite the fact that these processes have been studied for many years, the mechanism of adaptation to life in old age is actually beyond the attention of researchers, even at the conceptual level.

The modern social situation throughout the world, the focus on youth, an active lifestyle, and the philosophy of achievement make this demographic layer the most vulnerable. The social and psychological situation of older people in economically unstable regions is especially difficult. As a rule, the words old age and elderly people carry a negative semantic meaning, often being synonyms for the words “defective”, “outdated” (Strashnikova, Tulchinsky), which is reflected in the self-awareness of old people and the attitude of younger segments of the population towards them.

Changes in psychosocial status in old age differ from previous ones primarily in the narrowing of the range of possibilities, both physical and social; and consists of several stages: old age, retirement, widowhood. Life satisfaction and successful adaptation to old age depend primarily on health. The negative effects of poor health may be mitigated by mechanisms of social comparison and social integration. (Craig). Financial situation, orientation toward others, and acceptance of change also play an important role. The reaction to retirement depends on the desire to leave work, health, financial situation, the attitude of colleagues, as well as the degree to which the departure was planned. Widowhood typically brings loneliness and unwanted independence. At the same time, it can give a person new opportunities for personal growth. At the same time, the meaning a person attaches to ongoing events is often more important than the events themselves.

Analysis of the general patterns of social adaptation of older people requires a strict definition of this concept and its correlation with the related concept of socialization. Most domestic psychologists agree that socialization (from Latin socialis - social) is a more extensive process than adaptation [Andreeva G. M., 1988; Belkin P. G., 1987; Nalchadzhan A.A., 1988, etc.]. Social adaptation is recognized as one of the mechanisms of socialization. Firstly, it allows “the individual (group) to actively engage in various structural elements of the social environment by standardizing recurring situations, which enables the individual (group) to function successfully in a dynamic social environment” [Miloslavova I.A., 1974, p. 9]. Secondly, it gives the individual the opportunity to take on social roles in the process of adaptation. Socialization and social adaptation are considered as close, interdependent, interdependent processes, but not identical [Mudrik A.V., 1996].

At the same time, there is not the slightest doubt that the problem of socialization of older people not only exists, but is also more significant for this age period compared to the previous one. Successful socialization elderly people is one of the main conditions for maintaining a high quality of life. The psychological component of lifestyle is one of the most acute and currently little-studied problems associated with older people. Quite a lot is said about the economic and health problems faced by people of advanced age. But the level of medical care and material support does not directly correlate with the level of psychological comfort and the optimal lifestyle for a person. This is also proven by the fact that issues related to the psychological state and socio-psychological adaptation of the elderly, first of all, began to be studied in the most developed and economically prosperous countries, where pension provision and medical care for older people are sufficiently high level. The difficulty is that if economic and medical issues can be solved centrally and standardly for all people of a certain age group, then psychological problems must be solved individually, based on the personal qualities of the elderly person and the social situation.

Surveys conducted by scientists, sociologists and officials responsible for working with older people have shown that among the most important problems associated with improving their own standard of living, older people note loneliness, health and economic problems. Thus, despite the relevance of the quality of medical care and income, almost all older people suffer from psychological problems: disruption of their usual lifestyle, lack of attention from society and loved ones, loneliness.

Speaking about social adaptation in relation to older people, M.D. Alexandrova gives the following definition: “Social adaptation is understood as how old people, who have acquired new qualities due to age, adapt to society, and how society adapts old people to itself. Some authors (M.D., Aleksandrova, N.V. Panina) call old age “the age of poor adaptation,” which occurs as a result of various somatic and mental changes in personality, as well as in connection with changes in family life and the environment” when studying adaptation problems older people to the status of a pensioner using a personal-role approach, suggested that the social adaptation of the elderly consists of entering the circle of roles corresponding to the status of a pensioner.

The daily, routine life of older people, as a rule, does not involve fulfilling any role, and unstructured situations in later life cause depression and anxiety, as older people feel a vacuum of social expectations and a lack of norms for them. Quite rightly, old age is called the stage of systematic social losses and lack of gains. “The main tasks of life are completed, responsibility decreases, dependence increases. These losses are associated with illness and physical illness. These losses and their correlates of dependence, isolation and demoralization increase progressively in later life.” They clearly show the older person a decrease in participation in social life and an increase in his marginality.

This is confirmed by empirical research. Thus, P. Adelmann compared the number of social roles played simultaneously by older women, their life satisfaction and self-esteem. She found that women who played two social roles simultaneously showed higher self-esteem and lower levels of depression than women who played only one role.

Another factor that determines social adaptation is the value norms, standards, traditions of society as a whole and the elderly in it, since adaptation cannot be studied outside of connection with the functioning of social relations as a whole, outside of objective social processes. From the point of view of V.S. Ageev, “the success of adaptation in new conditions is directly related to the success (speed, volume, “accuracy”) of mastering the stereotypes of the new group.” At the same time, the processes of group identification and the assimilation of group stereotypes go in parallel and determine one another, i.e. .e. stereotypes begin to be internalized if a person identifies himself with a group and is fully aware of himself as a member of it.

The success of adaptation depends on the degrees of status and role certainty, which are directly proportional to the level of social identity, i.e. the degree to which a person identifies himself with certain cultural, national, social and age groups. In the mass consciousness, the role of a pensioner, widower, or simply an elderly person is very unclear, and there are no corresponding role expectations in society. Loss of roles and, as a consequence, role uncertainty demoralize the elderly. This deprives them of a social identity often has a negative impact on psychological stability.

Since the target function of the social adaptation process is the self-preservation of “society-family-individual” in their interrelation and development, adaptation of older people seems to be a complex formation, consisting of many components and its criteria are:

At the level of society - the degree of convergence of value orientations of various sex and age groups of society and the degree of coincidence of auto- and heterostereotypes of the elderly;

At the group level - the degree of role adaptation, the degree of positivity of social identity, the degree of incorporation (the closure of the elderly in their immediate environment);

At the personal level - adaptation to the aging process itself and the degree of positivity of personal identity.

Research into the process of psychological adaptation of older people was carried out not only in the context of social psychology, but also in domestic gerontology. For example, in the adaptation-regulatory theory of aging, developed by V.V. Frolkis, the provisions are revealed that, simultaneously with the processes of age-related destruction and disorganization in old age, the development and strengthening of adaptation-regulatory processes aimed at survival, increasing vitality, and increasing life expectancy occurs . In relation to mental aging, notes N.F. Shakhmatov, this is expressed in the formation in old age of a new active life position, reflecting a revaluation of past values, a revision of past attitudes, and the development of a certain attitude towards one’s own aging. With favorable forms of mental aging, the lifestyle is fully adapted to the external and internal conditions that change in old age. In the case of unfavorable, painful mental aging, issues of adaptation of older people become clinical problems.

Only a small number of older people survive the negative phase of the old age crisis. Most of them need attentive and qualified help from specialists, loved ones and society as a whole. In our country, it is easier to use public opinion to organize assistance for people of advanced age than in many Western European countries. This is explained by the fact that in our society there are quite stable positive stereotypes of older people, in which their experience, knowledge and ability to withstand difficult everyday situations are positively assessed [Krasnova O. V., 1998]. This means that it is possible for older people to form an attitude towards their importance for young people, to help them, and for young people to accept this help, and not so much in the household, but in professional and social activities.

The need to find an adequate scope for the activity of older people is also related to the fact that the peak of social activity of the elderly coincides with the pre-retirement period (for men aged 56 to 60 years, for women from 50 to 55 years). According to V.V. Patsiorkovsky, this is due to the increased tension arising in connection with the inevitable liberation from employment. However, it can be assumed that the reason lies in the peculiarities of the course of the age crisis, in the process of self-awareness of the individual, as a result of which a reassessment of goals, values, interests and needs occurs. With retirement, an elderly person changes the number of social groups with which he interacts, which entails a qualitative transformation in self-awareness. Thus, family members expect that after retirement an elderly person will pay more attention to household chores, but a retired person is not only not focused on housekeeping, but also gives a low assessment of this way of spending time. V.D. Shapiro, based on research, also notes that the most common negative consequence of stopping work is an increase in the workload at home and at the same time a feeling of uselessness. Most likely, housework is not considered socially useful by older people. In addition, according to L.P. Lipova, they feel cut off from the team. Joint activities that have social significance restore the autonomy and independence of the elderly person, compensate for the decrease in personal social potential, therefore, in the periods preceding old age, the elderly gravitate toward active social life. Antsiferova L.I., notes that older people want and can be useful to society. Elderly people are conservative and dogmatic if they are not engaged in work activities, especially those related to creativity.

Therefore, younger members of society often refuse to follow the advice of older people, especially since they do not always understand their experiences. The search for a way out of this circle makes older people want to communicate with peers. What is noteworthy is the relevance of contacts with peers, and not with members of one’s family. At the same time, many older people also seek help and understanding from their peers, rather than from their relatives. This is also due to the economic situation of young people, who often cannot fully support their elderly parents, and also to the fact that, as in adolescence, the other generation does not understand them well. Thus, older people can overcome the problems that arise and find a way to adequately socially and psychologically adapt to the situation in which they find themselves by interacting with peers who face the same problems and have approximately the same life experiences and perception stereotypes. In this case, of course, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the group of older people is heterogeneous in social composition, life experience, stereotypes and evaluative standards, and therefore communication must be established among people with a similar social status, common value orientations and attitudes.

Expanding and deepening communication becomes an indispensable condition for socialization at this age. The difficulty of forming new personal contacts is due to the fact that many older people experience communication difficulties. Basic research shows that in most cases, older people suffer from communication disorders and conflicts related to this area. Two-thirds of the elderly who sought help at the institute’s psychiatric outpatient clinic spoke about problems with contacts.

K.A. Strashnikova and co-authors note that with external contact, older people are not always psychologically ready to make new acquaintances; not always and not everyone has a direct need for contacts. Many of them have adapted to loneliness, being satisfied with superficial forms of communication. The authors note the specifics of interaction between older people. Thus, they strive to avoid disappointment in dating by noticing the smallest details of the behavior of others, which often do not correspond to their idealized standard. Elderly people are afraid of being misunderstood, they are afraid of disappointments and emotional upheavals, they assume failures in communication, and as a result they avoid it, although they suffer from its lack.

The political activity of older people, incomprehensible to many young people, their participation in rallies and demonstrations is often explained by a desire for communication, sometimes unconscious. Not all older people have a conscious choice of social position behind this rally aggression; rather, it is nostalgia for youth and a desire for stereotypical behavior. The opportunity to establish contacts with peers in other, more socially acceptable forms would significantly reduce this socially unsafe activity, which is often used by certain groups for their political interests. Finding optimal ways of corrective work with this group of older people is an important task not only for psychologists and gerontologists, but also for sociologists and politicians.

Research shows that there are several ways to compensate for the emotional stress in which older people find themselves and to increase the level of their socio-psychological adaptation. This is communication with nature, a passion for art (both in terms of creativity and in terms of perception), the emergence of new meaningful activities, new interests, perspectives (this is especially important for people over 70 years old).

Empirical data indicate that communication with nature, pets (cats, dogs and others), caring for indoor flowers, gardening and vegetable gardens significantly reduce the level of tension and compensate for the lack of communication of an elderly person. People who spend a lot of time in nature have a less pronounced fear of loneliness, a lower level of aggression and practically no depression.

Passion for art has an equally significant impact. Older people who often go to the theater, conservatory, museums and exhibition halls are much more mentally stable and less susceptible to depression than their peers who are indifferent to art. It can be assumed that these interests, being part of the personality structure, form a stable motivation that does not change with the crisis and is not subject to dynamics depending on status, social circle and other age factors. This behavior becomes the lifestyle that gives stability to the adaptation process as a whole.

For the psychological adaptation of elderly and old people, time perspective is very important. It has been empirically established that with age the desire for the future decreases, but [if a person’s activity is limited only to solving the problems of today, then its psychological organization becomes impoverished, since according to its creative capabilities a person can solve more complex problems. The progressive development of the individual as a way of existence is ensured by the manifestation of activity in resolving contradictions between the changing conditions of life and the real possibilities of satisfying needs and interests. Therefore, although older people are more likely to focus on the past, when planning certain activities, it is also possible to focus on the future. At the same time, a long-term perspective, as a rule, does not have the same effect as a short-term one, from about six months to a year and a half. Such a perspective allows a person to make certain plans, relieves depression and fear of death, helps to overcome illnesses, as it gives confidence in the future and reveals realistic goals for achievement even by old people.

The problems of socio-psychological adaptation and socialization of older people that we have considered show that their solutions contain many contradictory positions, which is associated with the presence of numerous and diverse concepts of personality and its genesis. Some factors influencing the psychological stability and activity of older people are described above. However, it must be recognized that in order to interpret the late period of a person’s life as a period of personality development, it is necessary to conduct targeted research on the characteristics of self-identification, analysis of the “image of the Self” and the degree of its integrity, adequacy and awareness in older people, changes in the type of activity of the elderly person. Studying the role of creativity, different lifestyles, communication in the process of socialization, the influence of these factors on the degree of frustration and mental stress in old age, together with an analysis of the degree of influence of social changes on the integrity of the individual, will help solve this problem.

In addition, it is legitimate to raise the question of a broad scientific justification and practical implementation of the idea of ​​permanent (continuous) education in relation to older people. Knowledge of the basic patterns will contribute to the socio-psychological adaptation of people in the later period of life, will help organize preventive and corrective work with them, which will give effective results.

Thus, the psychological changes that occur during the aging process make it a priority to study their dynamics and the characteristics of the social behavior of the elderly. Since one of the leading mechanisms ensuring the integrity of the individual and the predictability of its activities is social adaptation, this problem comes to the center of research interests.

To summarize the first part of our work, we note the following.

The aging of the Russian population, as a socio-demographic process that coincided with the processes of reforming society, is not a consequence of an increase in life expectancy and occurs simultaneously with an increase in the overall mortality of the population, accompanied by an increase in the dependence of older people on the economically and socially active population. In the context of a transitional stage of social and economic development, the problems of older people are not always solved consistently. The economy and social sphere do not yet fully provide conditions for a decent life for all older people. There are significant regional differences in the situation of older people.

Changes associated with the processes of modernization of the structure of society affect the position and social well-being of older people, who find it difficult to adapt to dynamically changing economic and socio-cultural conditions. To do this, they need help that takes into account the significant differentiation and complexity of their problems, the diversity of needs and requests.

Older age has specific problems: deteriorating health, decreased ability to self-care, “pre-retirement unemployment” and decreased competitiveness in the labor market, unstable financial situation, loss of usual social status. Older women are disadvantaged, which is significant given the persistence of long-term imbalances between the male and female population. The proportion of elderly people among migrants and persons without a fixed place of residence or occupation is quite large.

The onset of old age is a source of social risk for an individual; the problems of older people have objective grounds, are long-term in nature and require constant attention, the search for additional material, personnel and other resources within the new framework of a special state social policy for older people in modern Russia.

CHAPTER 2 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LEISURE SYSTEM

ACTIVITIES WITH SENIOR CITIZENS

2.1. Studying experience in adapting older people to

modern society through leisure activities

A person’s life is not complete if his right to rest and preferred forms of spending his free time are not realized. Leisure plays a particularly important role in the lives of older people, especially if their participation in professional work is difficult. In modern economic conditions, older people occupy a marginal sociocultural position in society. The limitation of the set of social roles and cultural forms of activity narrows the scope of their way of life. Therefore, special importance is attached to leisure after retirement or in connection with illness, when an elderly person must adapt to new living conditions.

The high number of older people in the population means an increase in their role in the life processes of society and is accompanied by a reasonable increase in expectations regarding the provision of social guarantees of well-being.

The basis of the policy of the Russian Federation as a social state is the creation of conditions that ensure a decent life and free development of all citizens, maintaining stability in society. Accordingly, one of the main directions of state social policy is establishing and maintaining a balance between the interests of various age and social groups. This involves a comprehensive solution to the problems of increasing the level and quality of life of the population, along with specially developed government measures in relation to certain groups of the population, including the elderly.

The goal of state social policy in relation to older citizens is a sustainable increase in the level and quality of life of older people based on social solidarity and justice, maintaining a balance of interests of all socio-demographic groups of the population and rational use of financial and other resources.

In the second half of the 90s, a method of solving the problems of older people on a program-targeted basis was applied at the federal level. In pursuance of the relevant Decree of the President of the Russian Federation on the basis of the resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of August 28, 1997. No. 1090 “On the federal target program “Older Generation” for 1997-1999”, the federal target program “Older Generation” for 1997-1999 was developed and adopted for implementation. The duration of the Program was extended for 2000 and 2001.

In the period until 2010, a number of fundamental tasks will need to be consistently addressed:

Stabilize the financial and social situation of older citizens by improving regulatory mechanisms in the areas of protecting rights and interests; pension provision, health care, feasible employment and the provision of targeted assistance and a wide range of social services that promote normal functioning and a decent lifestyle in old age;

Continue the restructuring of existing and the formation of new institutional structures designed for life support, maintaining vitality and health, socialization and social communication of older people;

To establish a positive attitude towards old age and older people as respected and active members of society, to increase the readiness of the entire population for the ongoing demographic changes.

The organization of work to maintain the socio-cultural activity of older people is carried out by strengthening functional structures aimed at providing citizens of the older generation with equal conditions and opportunities for a full social and cultural life. The development and implementation of programs to provide educational, educational, cultural, entertainment and informational activities, addressed to various groups of older people, with an emphasis on overcoming social exclusion, mastering the requirements of a changing environment and interacting with it. Conditions are being created for expanding informal contacts through the organization of various clubs for older people, intensifying the work of trust services, developing a network of sports and entertainment centers and tourism for older people.

To date, many targeted state and regional programs for the elderly have been developed. Thus, in Ulan-Ud there is a municipal target program “Honor and Respect for the Older Generation” (2007). Project goal: to support the social movement of veterans in the city of Ulan-Ude. The main objectives of the program are: organizing leisure, sociocultural, sports and recreational activities; health protection; preservation and development of continuity of generations, etc. Directions implemented by this program:

Satisfying the spiritual needs of older citizens and socialization needs;

Civil-legal, military-patriotic education of the younger generation on the ideals of the heroism of the Great Patriotic War, the life history of older generations;

Formation of a respectful, attentive attitude towards the older generation through influencing mass consciousness, dissemination methodological material on problems of older people.

Health improvement for older people, disease prevention;

Development of services for the elderly.

In the Irkutsk region, the “Municipal Target Program “Older Generation” for 2009 has been developed.

Program goals:

Formation of interconnected organizational, socio-economic conditions for the implementation of measures to improve the situation of older citizens and strengthen their social security, taking into account the socio-demographic and socio-economic situation;

Providing a unified cultural and information space that will help solve the problems of disunity, loneliness and lack of social relevance among older people;

Involving public organizations in solving problems of older people.

Program objectives:

Solving the problem of organizing public leisure for elderly people;

Ensuring public awareness of the situation of older people and measures to improve preparedness for life in old age;

Development of social services for older people, taking into account the maintenance of social normal level availability and sufficiency of assistance and services.

The program intends to contribute to the creation of a single space for older citizens, additional conditions to ensure the lifestyle, quality and standard of living of older people as a large socio-demographic segment of the population.

The implementation of the activities provided for by the Program will allow:

Contribute to the establishment of social policy priorities taking into account the needs of older citizens who traditionally need special social support;

Provide a systematic approach to solving the problems of older people and contribute to the achievement of positive results in organizing leisure time for older citizens;

To attract the attention of the entire society to the problem of population aging and help overcome the stereotype of negative perception of old age by people of all ages.

In Russia, institutional structures have been created that carry out or can more actively carry out functions that contribute to the implementation of the goals of state social policy in relation to older people.

By developing and improving social assistance services for the elderly and disabled, regional social protection authorities are constantly concerned about creating more comfortable conditions for the life of older people in inpatient institutions. Boarding houses provide the opportunity for the elderly and disabled to stay there not only permanently, but also temporarily; weekly and daily stays are introduced in them. With the advent of social service centers, rehabilitation centers, departments of social assistance at home and day care, the functions, volume and some aspects of the activities of inpatient institutions are somewhat changing.

A special place in the organization of socio-cultural activities with older people is given to social service institutions. Currently, there are about 1,500 social service centers in Russia.

So a survey was conducted among pensioners. This survey identified very important indicators: the contribution of social services to the provision of various types of assistance to the elderly and the proportion of those whom no one helps. The survey involved people from urban and rural areas. Give the results in table No. 1.

Table 1. Contribution of social services to the provision of various types of assistance to the elderly and the share of those whom no one helps, in %

The contribution of social services to providing assistance to the elderly was no more than 44% in the city (help with shopping) and no more than 14% in the countryside. This, unfortunately, indicates better organization the work of social services in the metropolis and, most likely, the lack of labor resources in the countryside.

The possibility of meeting the needs of an elderly person becomes real when he is endowed with the legal right to demand from the relevant competent authority the provision of a particular benefit (material support, social services, housing, etc.), and this body is legally obliged to provide such a benefit. Thus, the right to financial security in old age, in the event of loss of ability to work, loss of a breadwinner, is real, since the state pension system guarantees every worker who meets the established conditions the payment of pensions, regardless of the state of financial sources and any other factors. At the same time, in the field of social services, the possibility of exercising the right to receive it often depends on the discretionary decision of the competent authority, since a number of social services provided in this area are still among the scarce ones, not guaranteed to absolutely every old and disabled person. This is evidenced, in particular, by the excess of the number of people in need of services placed in boarding homes compared to the total number of places in these institutions; in social assistance at home and the capabilities of this service, etc.

The results of the survey on lifestyle in old age are very revealing and quite fully characterize the leisure preferences of pensioners.

The questions are as follows: “Do you often: 1) read; 2) watch TV; 3) listen to the radio; 4) talk on the phone; 5) go to visit and receive guests; 6) take walks; 7) visit the cinema, theater, exhibitions; 8) do what you love; 9) do you go to church?

The preferences of the elderly have been identified, which prevails in the structure of employment in their free time in descending order of importance in the settlements selected for this study. In table Table 2 lists possible options for the structure of an elderly person’s free time and their place of preference depending on their place of residence.

Table 2. Free time of the elderly, structure of preferences, in %

At the first glance at the table, it is obvious: in the science city they read more than in the countryside and in Samara, but everywhere they watch TV and listen to the radio equally actively. A quarter of the elderly are busy doing what they love, more than a third of them prefer walking (except in the villages, where half of life itself is spent in nature and involves working in the garden and caring for livestock). Again, in addition to the village, many elderly while away their time in telephone conversations- there are more than a third of them. Quite actively, older people attend church, theaters, and cinema (the latter, of course, except in the village). The dependence of an elderly person’s activity on well-being is very clearly characterized by the answers to the question “How do you rate your rest?”

Elderly people in rural areas evaluate their leisure time as passive, most likely due to the fact that rural life itself, with hard physical labor, with low opportunities to spend time in a variety of ways, and because of the small set of such opportunities, is presented to elderly people in rural areas as a sedentary, passive life.

A survey conducted by the authors (O.V. Belokon, Yu.A. Potanina) showed that territorial differences in the lives of the elderly are determined mainly by differences in the living conditions of the city and the village: the difference is in the availability of medical care, living conditions (the presence of various communications etc.), leisure opportunities, and finally, the level of education and preferences in the value system.

In order to assess the capabilities of older people in meeting recreational needs, it is necessary to determine which organizations and institutions are dealing with this problem and whether they organize leisure for all older people who need it.

Firstly, leisure activities are organized for older people who are served in stationary and semi-stationary institutions for social protection of the population (boarding houses, mini-boarding houses, gerontological centers, special houses for single senior citizens and married couples, day care units, etc.

Organizing leisure time in these institutions is not a priority and, therefore, sufficient financial resources are not allocated for the implementation of leisure activities. But the need for leisure in old age, and especially its organization for people who find themselves in difficult life situations, is obvious. Many institutions, understanding this need, are trying to satisfy at least the minimum leisure needs of older people.

Social service centers providing social services at home and urgent social services also take part in organizing leisure activities for their clients. Organizing leisure time at home is individual work where special forms of organization are used (holiday greetings, receiving periodicals, conversations with a psychologist, establishing friendly contacts by phone, etc.).

Many cultural institutions are developing and implementing comprehensive measures to assist older people in cultural development and leisure activities.

In 450 state theaters of the country, days of preferential showing of performances for older people have been introduced. Most exhibition halls and art galleries, including non-state and private ones, are visited by people of retirement age at discounted prices.

Particular attention is paid to cultural services for elderly disabled people; a network of special libraries and typhlological centers operates in regional centers and small towns of Russia.

Working with older people is an important component of the activities of folk art houses, which form an extensive network.

Cultural institutions began to make wider use of modern 50 thousand. state libraries The electronic system "Libnet" is being introduced, which makes it possible to facilitate access to library collections throughout the country.

A new type of cultural institutions is being introduced - multidisciplinary cultural and information centers for older people based on local television.

A tool for overcoming the lack of communication is the widespread creation of special centers-clubs for older people on the basis of existing cultural institutions: philharmonic societies, museums, libraries, cultural and information centers.

Educational objectives in relation to; elderly people are solved through the development of universities of the third age.

A network of social canteens, specialized stores, consumer service enterprises and other vital facilities serving the least socially protected groups of older people helps improve their livelihoods.

The target orientation of projects addressed to the elderly is determined, as already noted, by the characteristics of this audience. It consists, first of all, in helping a person form an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bold age as a time for the further development of creative powers and abilities, to adapt to new social roles, style and lifestyle; create conditions for the manifestation and maximum use of knowledge, skills, and life experiences of older people. For many older people, participation in a socio-cultural project should become a unique way of social rehabilitation of their past, which is of particular value to them, regardless of the historical assessment of this past from the perspective of today's knowledge.

An approximate list of tasks of implemented socio-cultural programs for the elderly:

Supporting the social status of an elderly person by maintaining the volume and quality of social roles and activity by supplementing or compensating work activity with various types of socio-cultural activities;

Restoring social roles and stimulating labor activity;

Formation of new interests and assistance in mastering new types of socio-cultural activities that allow you to fill your leisure time, broaden your horizons, and adapt to a changing world;

Restoring value unity with the younger generation;

Assistance in solving socio-psychological problems, gaining social status and a sense of personal significance;

Strengthening social and interpersonal ties and contacts, supporting a sense of social fulfillment and involvement in the life and affairs of the region and city;

Creating conditions to satisfy the needs for self-expression, social recognition, communication, respect for others, psychological support, exchange of life experiences, strengthening physical and mental health.

The following projects contribute to the solution of the above tasks:

- “Silver Age” - organization of multidisciplinary clubs for older people with a wide range of interests and activities: physical education, amateur arts; exchange of experience on raising grandchildren, cooking, handicrafts; organizing discussions and discussing issues of politics, morality, and everyday life; development unconventional methods treatment; board games, viewing newspapers, magazines; participation in landscaping; cultural, educational, educational, advisory and methodological work in schools and in the community.

- “Second profession” - organization of training courses for training older people in professions that make it possible to extend their working life after a person retires, open up new prospects for work activity (technical creativity, gardening, clothing design, accounting, etc.).

- "Health". The program includes: lectures and meetings with specialists on the problems of rational nutrition, disease prevention, emotional disorders, consultations on legal and medical aspects of health, etc.; physical education and health promotions and medical and recreational activities (with the invitation of traditional healers, famous doctors - specialists in various types and methods of rehabilitation, psychological support, etc.);

An independent direction of such a program is the organization of physical education and health groups “Movement and Health” (rhythmic movements using elements of dance and gymnastics). The experience of organizing this kind of groups shows that as a result, the feeling of one’s body significantly improves, psychological anxiety decreases, relaxedness appears, contact improves and friendly and trusting relationships are established with group members.

- “Art and Health” - involving people of retirement age in the work of amateur art groups, gymnastics, dance groups, and folk crafts associations; organization of discussion groups, the subject of interest of which can be any type or genre of art. Art here is not an end in itself, but serves as a means of building the inner world of the individual and improving mental culture. For example, members of the association love fine arts accessible ways express their thoughts, feelings, emotions, desires on paper - everyone draws what they see with their inner vision. Then there is a group discussion, analysis and interpretation of the drawings, revealing the symbolic meaning of the resulting images. Such an appeal to art makes it possible to fill leisure time even for those people who do not have performing skills.

- “A day outside the city” - the program involves going out into nature and the active participation of older people in various competitive and sporting events, artistic creativity, it provides an opportunity to communicate with nature and with each other, creates conditions for a fruitful vacation and making new friends. A sample list of activities: fishing, boating, biking, swimming, drawing, modeling, feeding and bird watching, making a fire, playing cards, charades, cooking, various crafts (wood carving, knitting, basket weaving, etc. .), dancing, choral singing, intellectual games (charades, quizzes, competitions, discussions), games, photography, hunting, walks through historical places, sports games, storytelling, etc.).

- “Active leisure” - organizing a system of events and competitions (“Come on, grandmothers”) with the telling of folk tales, proverbs, the performance of ditties, lullabies, fashion demonstrations, independently created children’s toys, etc.).

- ”Living history” - organizing exhibitions of old photographs, albums, letters, poems, demonstrating fashions of past times, holding literary evenings with oral memories of the artistic life and traditions of previous generations, cultural and historical eras.

In addition, thematic evenings are held on the basis of cultural and leisure centers and libraries (for example, “Christmas meetings”, “Melodies of the front-line years”, “Nostalgic gatherings”), associations of interests are created - clubs for travel enthusiasts, gardeners, housewives, nature lovers, poultry farmers, bridge lovers, etc. Advisory services are created, “News” bulletins are published containing information on health, nutrition, travel, sports, books, information on the activities of local public organizations, cinemas, parks, etc.

The above ideas for projects and programs are successfully implemented provided that specialized and multifunctional socio-cultural centers for the elderly are created at their place of residence, which include areas for communication, passive and active recreation, rooms for various courses and clubs, meeting rooms, medical and treatment rooms offices, etc. Such centers are financed not only from the local budget, but also from funds allocated by various foundations, public organizations, commercial structures, churches, etc. For example, a similar center in Germany offers its visitors recreational activities, ballroom dancing, playing bridge, and various training programs: the basics of drawing and painting, making ceramics, wood carving, etc.

2.2. Analysis of practical experience in adaptation of older people

using the example of the railway integrated social center

services to the population "Rainbow" of the Trans-Baikal Territory

Today, the cultural and leisure needs of citizens, including the elderly, in Chita are fulfilled by a number of social institutions: theatre, circus, philharmonic society, cinemas, museums, parks, libraries, clubs. Today it should be noted that social work centers of various types also organize leisure activities.

Studying the activities of various institutions designed to provide socio-psychological assistance to older people in the Trans-Baikal Territory, we will analyze the experience of working with the elderly using the example municipal institution“Railway integrated center for social services for the population “Rainbow”.

This institution was created on the basis of a resolution of the head of the Administration of Chita dated November 6, 2002. The center was created to provide assistance to families and individual citizens who find themselves in difficult life situations and to realize the legitimate rights and interests of citizens.

The main goals of the Center are:

Identification and registration of citizens in need of social services;

Assisting citizens served by the Center in enhancing opportunities and self-realization of their needs;

Providing various forms and types of social assistance;

Organization of social services for citizens;

Participation in the development and implementation of comprehensive action plans for organizing social services for citizens;

Providing advisory, social, household, pedagogical, medical, psychological, trade and other services of a permanent, temporary or one-time nature to citizens in need of social protection;

Organization and holding of charity events, cultural events, etc.

The main directions of the Center are:

Monitoring the social and demographic situation, the level of socio-economic well-being of citizens in the service territory;

Providing citizens with social, socio-pedagogical, legal, psychological, medical, household, trade, advisory and other services, subject to the principles of targeting and continuity of assistance;

Registration of citizens in need of social assistance;

Inspection of the material and housing conditions of citizens, drawing up inspection reports;

Social services at home for the elderly and disabled.

The work of the center is carried out by the following departments:

1. Organizational and advisory department;

2. Emergency social services department;

3. Department for the implementation of social rehabilitation programs for children and adolescents;

4. Social rehabilitation department for elderly and disabled citizens;

5. Department of social assistance at home.

In its work, the Center actively cooperates with public organizations: the veterans’ society, the disabled people’s society, the association of single citizens, charitable organizations, the media (“Zabaikalsky Rabochiy”, “Vechorka”, “Effect”, TV company “Altes”, radio “Sibir”, etc. .).

During 6 months of 2008, 2,724 people contacted the Center.

The organizational and advisory department is the main link in the organizational activities of the Center. The main functions of this department are: work with documents: collection, storage, processing; information analysis, reporting, etc.; registration, systematization of legal and methodological literature; studying innovations in the social sphere, drawing up work plans, developing social programs, advising citizens on all issues of interest to them.

During the first half of this year, the department collaborated with the media, and the following videos were shown on television:

On holding a sporting event for the Rainbow Center Cup between students from city schools;

In honor of the anniversary of the Golden Wedding, served by social workers of the Basargin Family Center;

On holding a festive event on May 16, together with the Civil Registry Office of the railway district of Chita, dedicated to Family Day.

The department’s specialists also conduct seminars for social and medical workers of various city institutions dealing with the problem of social protection of the population.

To work with older people and people with disabilities, the Center operates a social rehabilitation department.

The activities of this department are carried out in two directions:

Implementation of complex rehabilitation measures;

Individual work with the client.

The main objectives of the department are:

Providing social, everyday, and cultural services to citizens who have retained the ability to self-service and actively move;

Involvement in feasible work activities and maintaining an active lifestyle.

To carry out these tasks, the department carries out rehabilitation activities, which include a complex of rehabilitation services for social, everyday, socio-psychological, socio-cultural rehabilitation.

The department maintains a database of elderly people living in the Zheleznodorozhny district by category (WWII participants, WWII disabled people, home front workers, widows of WWII participants).

To date, the social rehabilitation department of the Center has entered into agreements with Road Library No. 1, District Library No. 16 on joint cooperation and holding thematic lectures and events on the basis of the State Educational Institution of Housing and Social Services "Rainbow".

Studying the needs of clients, the Center creates interest clubs so that pensioners themselves can be involved in their preparation.

Club meetings are often timed to coincide with clients' holidays or anniversaries. Participants prepare exhibits for handicraft and culinary exhibitions, print recipes for forgotten old and healthy dishes, menus of ordinary and cheap products, patterns of knitted items, and demonstrate models of restored clothing.

At the department, a club for elderly people “Dignity” was created, the team of which includes pensioners of liquidated enterprises.

Club members take an active part in holding theme evenings, seminars, and lectures.

In addition, the department has created a choral group “Singing Rainbow”, which takes part in holidays and festivals. The group includes pensioners and war veterans.

Nowadays, the work of specialists is reoriented towards the active participation of older people in leisure and creative work, and towards the formation of a life-affirming worldview.

Thus, the Center holds various holidays, folk festivals with competitions, songs, and fun games.

Specialists carefully prepare events, dedicated to the Day Victory.

All issues related to providing assistance to the population are resolved by the center promptly (within 1 - 3 days). The center works in close cooperation with the Education Committee, the Youth Affairs Committee, the Internal Affairs Department, the Social Protection Committee, and the Employment Center.

The center is in constant contact with the city council of veterans and the disabled people's society. Together with them, surveys of the living conditions of families of veterans and disabled people are carried out.

The center takes an active part in the preparation and holding of events for the International Day of Older Persons, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Mother's Day and other events related to certain holidays and memorable dates.

The institution attaches great importance to working with public, trade union, charitable and religious organizations in matters of joining forces and jointly solving the problems of older citizens and people with disabilities. It has become a good tradition to hold round tables and seminars on the most important issues of the institution’s activities.

The main goal of social services at home is to maximally prolong the stay of citizens in their usual habitat, support their personal “social status,” and protect their rights and legitimate interests.

The main home-based services provided by the institution include:

Arranging meals and delivering food to your home, assistance in purchasing medicines, essential goods, assistance in obtaining medical care and escorting to medical institutions, assistance in maintaining living conditions in accordance with hygienic requirements, assistance in organizing funeral services and burying lonely deceased, organization of various social services (housing repairs, provision of fuel, water delivery, payment of utilities, etc.),

Help with paperwork, etc.

One of the most important criteria of life is properly organized leisure time - such as work, life and rest. Our country has accumulated positive experience in this direction. So, for example, organizing the work of older people means creating a variety of workshops, home-based work (sewing, knitting, macrome, wood carving, growing seedlings), holding competitions, exhibitions, fairs - sales of manufactured products. Organizing the everyday life of older people includes holding community cleanups, public cleaning of their territory, entrances and stairwells in residential buildings, landscaping and landscaping of the area of ​​residence, repairs of premises on their own, mutual provision of household services (restoration of clothes and shoes, laundry services, haircuts, repair of household appliances). equipment, household items). Organization of recreation for older people - individual work, cultural events, creation of amateur associations for artistic, sports and other interests.

People's lifestyles are largely determined by how they spend their free time and what opportunities society creates for this. By actively engaging in social activities, older people make their lives more fulfilling. Retirement means that for another 10–20 years a person can live fruitfully and creatively and benefit others. There are many examples of the fact that only after retiring, people unexpectedly discovered some talents and abilities. Some suddenly began to write poetry, draw pictures, study foreign languages, philosophy, and proved themselves to be specialists in the field of gardening, handicrafts, applied arts, etc. A clear example is the ongoing exhibitions of works by pensioners, song festivals, and competitions for the best poetic work.

The Center for Social Services for the City Population operates structural units in accordance with the needs of the city’s social services; social workers have accumulated positive experience in organizing targeted assistance, cultural work, and cooperation with the church and the media.

Thanks to the long-term and current planning established in the institution, the forms and methods of working with the population are being improved. At the same time, there is a need for such forms of social services as opening a social canteen, developing the services of a nurse, motor transport, laundress, housing repair workers, and household appliances. In order to increase the efficiency and quality of social assistance to needy categories of citizens, it is necessary to computerize the Center.

As a result of this work, the city's Social Service Center will become multidisciplinary and will provide social assistance and support to a larger number of citizens.

Policies and interventions aimed at improving the situation of aging should provide older people with the opportunity to satisfy the need to express themselves as individuals, which can be broadly defined as the satisfaction derived from the achievement of personal goals, aspirations and potentials. It is important that policies and programs affecting aging people create opportunities for self-expression through their participation in various areas of life that create personal satisfaction and benefit their families and communities. The main areas of activity in which older people find satisfaction are the following: participation in family life and maintaining family ties, voluntary service to society, continuous improvement through self-education and training in educational institutions, self-expression in arts and crafts, participation in various public organizations and organizations for the elderly, religious activities, recreation and travel, part-time work, participation in political activities as knowledgeable citizens.

Increasing the level and quality of life of older people as an important condition for improving lifestyle in old age is a complex integrated process during which a state of physical and spiritual health is achieved, satisfaction with living conditions, high provision of necessary material, spiritual, cultural and social benefits are established harmonious relationships older people with a social environment.

The public at large must be educated on issues relating to the treatment of elderly people in need of care. Older people themselves should be taught self-care;

Persons working with older people at home or in institutions should receive basic training to carry out these tasks, with particular attention to the participation of older people and their families, as well as cooperation between different levels of health and social care professionals;

Health care professionals and students caring for people (e.g. physicians, nurses, social care workers, etc.) should be trained to acquire principles and skills in the relevant areas of gerontology, geriatrics, psychogeriatrics and aged care.

The basic principle of care for older people should be to enable them to live independently within the community for as long as possible.

Society should develop medical and other related services to the maximum extent possible. These services should include a wide range of outpatient services, such as day care centers, outpatient clinics, day hospitals, medical and visiting nurses, and home-based services. Emergency services must always be available. Institutional care should always meet the needs of older people.

Social security services can be instruments of national policy and should have the goal of maximizing the social functions of older people. They should be locally based and provide a wide range of preventive, curative and developmental services for aging people so that they can live as independently as possible in their own homes and communities while remaining active and contributing citizens.

The aim of social welfare services should be to create, expand and maintain the activity and usefulness of the elderly both in and for the community for as long as possible.

Formal and informal organizations must take into account the special needs of older people and integrate them into current programs and future plans. The important role that cooperatives can play in providing such services should be recognized and encouraged. Such cooperatives could also involve older persons, either as full members or as consultants.

The involvement of young people both in the provision of services and care and in activities for the elderly, and together with them, should be encouraged to strengthen links between generations. Mutual self-help among healthy and active older people and their assistance to their less advantaged peers should be promoted to the greatest extent possible, and, if possible, older people should be involved in informal functions for part of the day.

When drawing up and implementing socio-cultural programs for the elderly, one should take into account not only the problems, but also the characteristics of this category. It is known that representatives of this social group have increased social activity - they are proactive, want to act and make decisions independently, and share their life experiences. Therefore, in the content of the project addressed to this audience, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of maximum use of the creative capabilities and abilities of an elderly person. However, it should be taken into account that in the methods and intensity of leisure activities, elderly people are conventionally divided into two opposing groups: firstly, there is a group with a high need for social work and socially oriented forms of leisure time - for them this activity performs compensatory functions, allowing for a person to maintain a sense of self-worth during a period of changing social roles. The majority of pensioners are characterized by passive forms of leisure (reading, TV). In addition, it should be noted the accentuated need for recognition, the desire to receive approval and support from others, confirmation of one’s long-formed views and positions.

Current problems in this category are: loss of meaning in life and narrowing of the scope of social contacts and circle of communication, caused by the loss of social status due to retirement; a crisis of values ​​caused by economic and political cataclysms in society; deterioration of physical and mental well-being; increased conflict in communication with representatives of the younger generation, manifested in a discrepancy between values, ideals, life principles (on the one hand, the young generation’s negative perception and assessment of the traditions of the past, immediate history, which negatively affects the attitude towards the elderly; on the other hand, the elderly’s rejection of the image and the meaning of life for young people). Loss of respect for the people who are the bearers of this past, increased social isolation gives rise to unfavorable socio-psychological well-being in an elderly person (depression, anxiety, helplessness, feelings of loneliness, rejection, abandonment and social insecurity). Depression, uncertainty about the future, and the constant expectation of undesirable changes make this social group, according to experts, marginal, which differs from other categories by the uncertainty of their social status and greater dissatisfaction with their lives. In addition, economic insolvency caused by the loss of part of the income leads to a sharp reduction in cultural contacts and a decrease in cultural activity. The lack of conditions for social activity, recreation and everyday communication is especially acutely felt by those people who live in new buildings, a big city, or have recently changed their place of residence.

In the twentieth century, the scientific and technological revolution led to an "explosion" in knowledge and information throughout the world. The continuous and expanding nature of this revolution also gave impetus to the acceleration of social changes. In many countries around the world, older people continue to be conduits of information, knowledge, traditions and spiritual values. This important tradition should not be forgotten.

As a fundamental human right, education should be available without discrimination against the elderly. Education policies should reflect the principle of providing the right to education to the aging

There is a need to adapt educational methods to the capabilities of the elderly so that they can benefit equally from any education provided. The need for continuing education among adults at all levels must be recognized and encouraged

Policies that address the growing number of older persons who are healthy and socially active, and which are based on the desire to exploit the potential of older persons, automatically benefit individual older persons, both financially and otherwise. Likewise, any effort aimed at improving the quality of life of older people and meeting their diverse social and cultural needs will in itself strengthen their ability to continue to interact with society. In this sense, the development and humanitarian aspects of the issue of aging are closely interrelated.

CONCLUSION

The problem of population aging constantly attracts the attention of the scientific community, and for good reason. Recent decades have been characterized by an increase in the proportion of older people in the general population around the world. The Russian Federation is no exception. In a little more than 40 years, our country has turned from a demographically young state into an old one. In addition, the proportion of elderly, old and very old people in the country is steadily increasing. In recent years, the number of people aged 75 years and older has increased by 2.6 times, and the number of people aged 85 years and older has more than tripled. The process of aging occurs within old age itself. The group of 80-year-olds comes out on top.

When considering the issue of aging, it is very important not to separate the issue of the situation of older persons from the general socio-economic conditions prevailing in society. The elderly should be considered an integral part of the population. They should also be considered in the context of population groups such as women, youth, persons with disabilities and migrant workers. The elderly must be considered as an important and necessary element of the development process at all levels in a given society.

Social and psychological support from anyone, including family and friends, must recognize the older person's need for his or her own "self-control" and must address alternative ways improving the lives of older people. (Shakhmatov N.F., 1996).

The relevance of the issue under consideration is explained by the “demographic aging” of society (in Russia, elderly people make up about 30% of the population) and the increasingly complex socio-economic situation in the country (declining living standards, insufficient medical care for elderly people, pushing this category of people “to the margins” of life). As a result of all this, older people easily become maladapted and need socio-psychological support from loved ones and society as a whole.

In these conditions, the importance of social policy increases, and the formulation of its priorities as raising the level and quality of life of older people. Institutions of social protection and rehabilitation, health care, public associations, and cultural institutions participate in this complex, complex process.

With all the diversity of the needs of elderly and old people for medical and social care, most researchers highlight the need for the provision of services for organizing leisure time for the elderly.

The problems of socio-psychological adaptation and socialization of older people that we have considered show that there are many contradictory positions in solving them, which is associated with the presence of numerous and diverse concepts of personality, and it is the organization of leisure that can contribute to a more effective adaptation process.

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Adaptation of older people

From this article you will learn:

What are the problems of social adaptation of older people?

Why is adaptation of an elderly person necessary?

What technologies exist for adaptation of older people that are applicable in modern society?

How does adaptation of older people take place in a private boarding house for the elderly?

The problems of social and socio-psychological adaptation of pensioners are the most pressing at the moment. To make adaptation smooth, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of old age. It is extremely important not to disrupt the lifestyle of older people. This is especially true for boarding houses and boarding houses, where adaptation of older people sometimes causes painful and anxious feelings among pensioners.

Problems of social adaptation of older people

Average life expectancy has increased greatly in recent years. In this regard, the share of pensioners in society has also increased. Problems related to their social and social status, role and place in the family, medical and social rehabilitation and social services, social guardianship over them are especially important and significant. Social adaptation of older people in society is one of the main tasks facing social services.

The social aspect of aging is especially significant. The fact is that old age is a transition to fulfilling a new social role, which means it involves changes in group and interpersonal relationships. Unfortunately, European civilization does not maintain a special moral aura towards pensioners. But eastern culture is famous for following traditions and respect for the elderly.

The ordinary consciousness and value system of Western people defines a pensioner as a subject of reproduction. Of course, the adaptation of older people with such an attitude towards them becomes significantly more difficult, that is, a member of society who has already fulfilled his main function becomes a kind of burden for his biological species. Alas, there is no talk at all about the moral and higher aspects of the problem of old age.

Of course, it will take us a lot of time and effort to rethink the moral nuances of aging and the situation in which retirees find themselves. Social adaptation of an elderly person should be aimed at making the pensioner feel like a full member of society.

At the moment, society's desire to facilitate the final stage of life for pensioners is limited by legislation, medical services, nursing homes, boarding houses, etc. Adaptation of older people, as a rule, is very painful.

Unfortunately, the conditions of the modern world are not conducive to the social adaptation of pensioners. The situation becomes paradoxical. Medical workers They strive to prolong people's lives, but the situation in which pensioners find themselves is very deplorable. At the same time, such an important topic as adaptation of older people does not receive due attention.

Attitudes towards old age speak about the moral level of society. A kind, dignified, happy, beautiful old age is a reflection of human values. If attention is not paid to such an issue as the adaptation of older people, then not the happiest last years of life await each of us.

The rhythm of aging is determined by the standard of living of an elderly person, working conditions, social and psychological factors, and lifestyle.

When a person becomes elderly, a reassessment of values ​​and guidelines occurs. He changes his lifestyle, stops production activities and loses business connections. However, the pensioner continues to take part in some types of social activities, due to which the adaptation of older people is not so painful.

Those elderly people whose work was highly valued in the past, but now turned out to be useless and unnecessary, find themselves in a sad situation. As they stop working, their health deteriorates. Lack of work affects a person’s vitality and mental state. This is quite natural, because work, as we know, is the most important condition for good health, thanks to which the adaptation of older people occurs naturally and easily.

The lifestyle of older people depends on how they spend their leisure time, whether society creates opportunities for them to spend their free time fully and actively. Many retirees are interested in social activities and find great pleasure in it. Of course, adaptation of older people who are passionate about what they love does not cause them any difficulties.

Social-psychological factors There are many factors that affect the adaptation of pensioners, but the main one is stress. We are talking about nonspecific reactions of the body that are caused by stress factors. Pensioners have a hard time experiencing their retirement, the death of one of their spouses, isolation, emotional conflicts, etc. Psychological adaptation of older people who find themselves in a difficult life situation allows them to accept their new situation and start life “from scratch.”

Stress reactions develop in stages. First, the stage of mobilization occurs, then the stage of adaptation, and after that the stage of exhaustion. The first stage is characterized by an increase in blood pressure, the tone of the nervous system, the emergence of fears, anxieties and aggressive states. At the adaptation stage, the body develops adaptive reactions, physiological functions and mental processes are normalized. If stress is moderate, then it contributes to the development of adaptive behavior.

In other words, the human body adapts to the situation that has arisen. This state is called “eustress”. If a person cannot cope with accepting the current life situation, then a stage of exhaustion sets in, the psyche is disturbed and numerous diseases develop. This state is called “distress”. Constant chronic stress negatively affects the body, causes premature aging, reduces immunity, and contributes to the development of diseases. Adaptation problems among older people are often the causes of their deteriorating health.

Unfortunately, the problems facing older people are multifaceted. To solve them, it is necessary to take measures that are aimed at increasing the vitality and quality of life of pensioners, to ensure that the adaptation of older people is not so unpleasant and painful for them.

How does social adaptation of an elderly person occur in modern society?

Social adaptation- this is the active adaptation of the individual to new conditions.

We are talking about a social process, the active assimilation of social norms necessary for life in new conditions. As a rule, adaptation occurs over a short period of time. Social adaptation is the most important mechanism of socialization.

If social adaptation is successful, then the pensioner is psychologically satisfied with the conditions of his life. As a rule, such people adequately relate to their new lifestyle and new position. They are glad that they have a lot of free time, they communicate more, and are engaged in creativity.

If problems arise in the adaptation of an elderly person, then this is fraught with deterioration in health and poor health. Disadaptation is characterized by a lack of balance in the relationship between the individual and the environment. Unfortunately, some retirees are very worried because their living conditions have changed. In such a situation, adaptation takes a long time and is painful. An elderly person cannot find a new circle of friends, become interested in anything, or find new interests.

If the adaptation of older people in society is not successful, then, as a rule, this is caused by one of the following reasons:

Hormonal changes in the body;

Revision of life guidelines;

Career changes;

Grown up children who no longer need their parents;

Change in general health.

A social worker who detects symptoms of maladjustment in a pensioner must understand what exactly the elderly person is dissatisfied with. Most likely, it will be possible to create a whole list of reasons why the socio-psychological adaptation of older people is so painful. The social worker needs to identify the main cause of dissatisfaction, as well as possible solutions to the problem.

1) Physiological adaptation

Pensioners are characterized by a variety of psychophysiological changes. The weakening of functional capabilities in old age is manifested, first of all, in the fact that the body has difficulty adapting to the environment. The body of an elderly person responds to any external stimuli. For example, pensioners often react to changes in air humidity, weather, pressure, etc. It should be noted that aging citizens have difficulty adapting to a new life situation.

To resolve issues of physiological adaptation of pensioners, it is especially important the following factors:

Quality of medical care;

Quality of consumer services;

Lifestyle;

Leisure and recreation.

2) Socio-economic adjustment— mastering socio-economic norms, principles of relationships. Economic adaptation is very important for an elderly person if he is a poor, unemployed person.

3) Social and pedagogical adaptation involves the formation of life values ​​through educational and educational methods.

Social and pedagogical adaptation of pensioners is carried out using the following methods:

Training using specialized literature (brochures, memos, instructions);

Individual consultations;

Group work.

4) Socio-psychological adaptation (psychological) is a process that is associated with the adaptation of the human psyche to the effects of stress and the protection of the psyche from excessive stress through the formation of optimal physical and neuropsychic tone.

To make the adaptation of older people in modern society less painful, social workers use the following methods:

Communication methods (psychodrama, transactional analysis, gestalt therapy);

Methods based on non-verbal activity (art therapy, music therapy, pantomime, etc.);

Suggestive method;

Discussion therapy (technology for social adaptation of older people through discussion of issues that concern the pensioner);

Group therapy;

Creating an environment of positive communication;

Organization of leisure time.

Thanks to the use of the above methods, adaptation of older people proceeds more naturally, smoothly and painlessly.

Professional adaptation - this is the adaptation of an elderly patient to a new type of business activity, team, working conditions and characteristics of a certain profession.

The success of professional adaptation is determined by the pensioner’s inclination to specific production activities, the coincidence of social and individual motivation for work and other circumstances. Professional adaptation, being a subtype of social adaptation, takes place only in labor relations, that is, we are talking about the employee’s adaptation to working conditions, work standards, etc.

How do older people adapt in private nursing homes?

The attitude of older people to life in boarding houses varies. Some consider their position to be an opportunity to live in comfortable conditions without the need to create problems for family members and society. Others are unhappy with their new situation and hope to return home soon. By the way, the latter often consider their children ruthless and inhuman. Social adaptation of older people in such a situation becomes significantly more complicated.

Entering a nursing home is a critical moment in the life of a retiree. He is faced with unforeseen situations, new people, unusual surroundings, and uncertainty about his social status. The presence of such circumstances forces older people to adapt to the external environment and respond to the changes that occur in it. Older people overestimate themselves and their capabilities based on the conditions of the changed situation. This process is painful and difficult, but pensioners are helped to cope with such difficulties by the staff of the boarding house.

Psychologists work with newly admitted pensioners. Adaptation and rehabilitation of older people involves going through the following stages:

Stage 1: Social and psychological adaptation—lasts 14 days

The task at the first stage— reduce the feeling of anxiety among pensioners. Employees strive to alleviate the situation of older people by studying the process of their socio-psychological adaptation to changing living conditions.

The program is designed for the period of time during which the pensioner stays in the reception and quarantine department (2 weeks). During this time, clients will have to get acquainted with complete information about life in the boarding house (through stands, photo albums reflecting the lifestyle, leisure time of residents, oral surveys, conversations to determine the personal characteristics of patients, questionnaires, virtual tours of the nursing home).

Employees identify the reason why the pensioner came to the boarding house, introduce the elderly to the daily routine, etc. The admitted person learns comprehensive information regarding everyday issues, the provision of medical and social services, and meetings with relatives and friends. The psychologist fills out the relevant documents, determines the characteristics of the elderly person’s character, his interests, attitudes, habits, and analyzes the data obtained.

The organizer of cultural events introduces older people to hobby groups and clubs. Adaptation of older people through leisure is one of the most effective methods. An occupational instructor talks to retirees and explains the types of occupational therapy available. Gradually, the elderly acclimatize to the conditions of a nursing home. They learn to interact with other people and prepare to live with roommates.

Boarding house employees ensure that pensioners obey discipline rules. In addition, a psychologist works with patients. It studies the individual psychological characteristics of each guest, helps relieve stress, anxiety, anxiety, and form a new life stereotype. The psychologist also develops individual psychological maps and does everything possible to ensure that the adaptation of older people is as comfortable as possible for them.

First, the psychologist conducts a conversation with the patient, during which he finds out what the elderly person’s views on life and problems are. The specialist strives to show the pensioner that he is interesting as a person. This conversation takes place informally. The psychologist is interested in the character traits of an elderly person and communicates with him in a friendly manner. As a rule, pensioners feel genuine interest in themselves and open up in this conversation.

Stage 2: Social and psychological adaptation— lasts from 2 weeks to 6 months

After the psychologist has analyzed the information obtained during the conversation, he makes recommendations regarding the placement of an elderly person in one of the rooms. When settling, many factors are taken into account. We are talking about physical activity, character traits, health, psychological compatibility with neighbors. For example, it is not practical to place 2 leaders in the same room.

The main goal of this stage is to create comfortable living conditions and a favorable psychological climate. Social workers study the patient’s potential, the degree of social activity, and identify their creative abilities. Employees are engaged in creating a favorable socio-psychological microclimate, ensuring employment for patients, organizing leisure and creative activities. Thanks to all these actions, adaptation of older people is less painful.

As a rule, the success of adaptation is largely determined by how attached the patient is to his illness. Boarding house employees have to act as psychologists and distract older people from sad thoughts.

Stage 3: Adaptation to the team and strengthening positive social skills—lasts from 6 months onwards

This stage is longer. Six months after the elderly man moved into a boarding house, he has to make a difficult decision. The pensioner needs to understand whether he wants to return home or stay here for permanent residence. At this stage, the older person consolidates positive social skills. This happens thanks to meaningful leisure, employment, and comfortable living conditions. In other words, each guest receives a psychological orientation towards a new way of life. As soon as he begins to feel like a full-fledged member of society, the adaptation program for the elderly person is considered complete.

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INTRODUCTION

Relevantity of the study. The process of aging society has led to an increase in the number of elderly citizens, thereby actualizing their problems. In particular, we are talking about the need to study the living conditions of older people and the factors of their social adaptation.

The problem of adaptation is considered as a multifaceted, multifaceted process, as a result of which a new quality is achieved, in particular, in the life of an elderly person. Under the influence of the adaptation process, new factors of a psychological, social, sociological and everyday nature, a restructuring of the personality is possible, capable of carrying out active activities in new conditions. According to E.I. Holostov, social adaptation is the process of a person’s adaptation to the social conditions of his existence, to a specific social situation. Social adaptation, as an important phenomenon in human life, undergoes significant changes with aging, which is a set of biological processes occurring in the systems and organs of the body in connections with age. Speaking about social adaptation in relation to older people, M.D. Alexandrova gives the following definition: “Social adaptation is understood as how old people, who have acquired new qualities due to age, adapt to society, and how society adapts old people to itself.” Some authors old age is called “the age of poor adaptation,” which occurs as a result of various somatic and mental changes in the personality, as well as in connection with changes in family life and the environment.” Studying the problems of social adaptation of older people to new conditions using the personal-role approach, M.D. Alexandrova suggested that the social adaptation of people in the older age group consists of entering the circle of roles corresponding to the status of a pensioner.

Research problem - the need to study the possibility of improving the social adaptation of older citizens in the conditions of a social service center.

Purpose of the study-to study the features of social adaptation of elderly citizens in the conditions of a social service center.

Object of study- the process of social adaptation of older people in a social service center.

Subject of study- the activities of specialists, which are aimed at the adaptation of elderly people in the conditions of a social service center.

Research objectives:

1. Describe the characteristics of elderly people.

2. Consider the features of social adaptation of elderly citizens in the conditions of a social service center.

3. To study the organization of social adaptation of elderly citizens in the conditions of the GAUSO KTSSON “RADUGA”.

4. Conduct a study of the problems of adaptation of elderly people receiving home care.

Research methods- theoretical: analysis of scientific literature on the research problem; empirical: questioning, document analysis.

Novelty of the research - The features of social adaptation of elderly citizens in the conditions of the State Educational Institution of Educational Institutions and Children's Centers for Social Security "RADUGA" were studied. Recommendations have been developed for developing a system of adaptation measures for social work specialists in this institution.

Practical significance-results, main conclusions and generalizations contribute to a deeper understanding of the social problems of older people, establishing contacts between the social worker and the client to carry out joint work. Also, this work can be used by social workers, social work specialists who deal with this social group, as well as students studying in this specialty.

The final qualifying work consists of an introduction, two chapters, a conclusion, a list of sources used (30 titles) and 1 appendix. The text is illustrated with 3 tables and 9 figures.

1. THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF STUDYING SOCIAL ADAPTATION OF ELDERLY CITIZENS IN THE CONDITIONS OF A SOCIAL SERVICE CENTER

1.1 Elderly people as a social community

One of the trends observed in recent decades in developed countries of the world is an increase in the absolute number and individual share of the population of older people. There is a steady, rather rapid process of decreasing the proportion of children and youth in the total population and increasing the proportion of the elderly.

By 1975, there were approximately 200 million people aged 60 years in the world. Their number has increased to 550 million. According to forecasts, by 2025. The number of people over 60 years of age will reach 1 billion. 100 million people. Compared to 1950 their numbers will increase more than 5 times, while the planet's population will increase only 3 times.

Dynamics of growth in the number of elderly citizens in Russia according to government statistics. The main reasons for the aging of the population are a decrease in the birth rate, an increase in life expectancy for people in older age groups due to the progress of medicine, and an increase in the standard of living of the population. On average, in the countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the life expectancy of men has increased by 6 years over 30 years, and that of women by 6.5 years. In Russia, over the past 10 years, there has been a decrease in average life expectancy.

Old age is the most difficult period of a person’s life, and demographic aging requires society to increasingly expend financial and other material resources to serve this age category of the population. Society is forced to take upon itself the solution of all problems related to the complex of protection and social security of elderly and old people.

The socio-demographic category of older people, the analysis of their problems, theorists and practitioners of social work are determined from different points of view - chronological, sociological, biological, psychological, functional, etc. The population of older people is characterized by significant differences, which is explained by the fact that it includes themselves persons from 60 to 100 years old. Gerontologists propose dividing this part of the population into “young” and “old” or (“very old”) people, just as in France there is the concept of “third” and “fourth” ages. The boundary for the transition from the “third” to the “fourth” age is considered to be overcoming the milestone of 75-80 years. “Young” old people may experience different problems than “old” old people, for example, employment, leadership in the family, distribution of household responsibilities, etc.

In accordance with the classification, the elderly include people aged 60 to 74 years, the old - those aged 75-89 years, and the centenarians - people aged 90 years and older.

The elderly include different people - from relatively healthy and strong to very old people burdened with illnesses, people from a wide variety of social strata, having different levels of education, qualifications and different interests. Most of them do not work and receive an old-age pension.

The social living conditions of older people are primarily determined by their state of health. Self-esteem is widely used as an indicator of health status. Due to the fact that the aging process does not occur in the same way for certain groups and individuals, self-esteem varies greatly.

Another indicator of health status is active life activity, which decreases in older people due to chronic diseases, deterioration of hearing, vision, and the presence of orthopedic problems.

Financial situation is the only problem that can compete in its importance with health. Elderly people are alarmed about their financial situation, the level of inflation, and the high cost of medical care. According to A.G. Simakov, there are significant differences in the psyche of older people living at home and in nursing homes.

Modern theories of aging play an important role in organizing social work with older people, because they interpret and generalize experience, information and observation results, and help predict the future. The social worker needs them, first of all, in order to organize and streamline his observations, draw up an action plan and outline their sequence.

Resource potential of the older generation of Russia as the basis of new social norms.

The laws of social life are elusive and changeable. The world around us is changing. New social norms and social practices are emerging. Its prosperity or decline depends on how society responds to new challenges and whether new adequate solutions are found. Researchers rightly believe that the period from the mid-18th century to the end of the 21st can be called the era of the demographic revolution. Its essential feature is the process of population aging.

Demographic aging is an important feature of the modern world. The age structure of the population is an essential characteristic of any country.

Modern social work with older people should be built in accordance with the Action Plan on the problem of older people, developed by the UN (United Nations) more than 15 years ago and designed for the period until 2001.

In the preface to this Plan, the countries of the world solemnly recognize that quality of life is no less important than its duration, and therefore aging people should (to the extent possible) live productive, healthy, satisfying lives in their own families and be considered an organic part of society .

In Russia, a number of Federal social programs have currently been adopted, the authors of which are least concerned about the theoretical purity of their plans. Unfortunately, many social programs are inherently declarative, unsystematic, and internal contradictions.

Researchers note that during the period of Russian reforms from the middle

In the 1980s, the phenomenon of female mortality disadvantage began to emerge, associated with more unfavorable trends affecting predominantly young age groups due to the rapid growth of mortality from exogenous causes.

These trends indicate a possible narrowing in the near future of the gap in life expectancy between men and women under the most unfavorable scenario: due to mortality in female cohorts. This is the second distinctive feature of the aging process of the Russian population.

The priority direction of social work with older people is organizing their living environment in such a way that an elderly person always has a choice of ways to interact with this environment. Freedom of choice gives rise to a feeling of security, confidence in the future, and responsibility for one’s own and other people’s lives.

An elderly person, even if he is a client of a social service, is a subject, i.e. decision maker .

Modern social work with the elderly should be built in accordance with the UN (United Nations) principles regarding older people 2001:

“To make the lives of older people fulfilling.” This document recommends that governments of all countries take the following measures in the field of social support for older people:

Develop a national policy for the elderly, thereby strengthening the connection between generations;

Encourage charitable organizations;

Protect older people from economic shocks;

Ensure quality of life in specialized institutions for the elderly;

Fully provide an elderly person with social services regardless of his place of residence - in his homeland or in another country.

Thus, at any level when developing Social Policy, two leading principles are distinguished:

Validity. Social policy must be calculated according to the necessary resources;

Realism. Social policy should be focused on practical solutions to the most significant social problems for a given period of time.

In the implementation of social policy, two principles are also adopted:

Specification. Manifests itself in forecasting social processes, drawing up social processes, drawing up social and economic programs, modeling socio-economic processes;

Until 2015 it is necessary to comprehensively improve the mechanism for implementing the directions of state policy regarding older people as a special socio-demographic group. This means the following:

Justification of decisions made, federal and religious targeted programs aimed at supporting older people. Examination of bills and draft regulations at the federal and regional levels for their possible impact and expected consequences for older citizens;

Ensuring that all older people, if appropriate, have access to all forms of medical care. Creation in the Russian Federation of an extensive system of geriatric care for the population, consisting of specialized offices and institutions and having the appropriate personnel potential. Formation of a palliative care system, including hospices, improvement of the system of gerontopsychiatric care;

Consistent increase in the real content of pensions, taking into account the growth of consumer prices and the dynamics of average monthly wages in the country;

Development of a network of institutions providing social assistance and social services to older people in their usual environment, primarily at home. Introduction of innovative models of social services;

Improving the supply of gerodietetic products to older people that have therapeutic and prophylactic value;

Providing elderly citizens with opportunities for feasible employment in the state and non-state sectors of the economy;

Maintaining social and cultural activity of older people, etc.

Article 7 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation states that “The Russian Federation is a social state, the policy of which is aimed at creating conditions that ensure a decent life and free development of people.”

Article 17 “recognizes and guarantees the rights and freedoms of man and citizen in accordance with generally recognized principles and norms of international law and in accordance with this Constitution.”

Developing and adopting relevant legislative acts. The Russian state harmonizes them with the starting positions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the Final Act of the Helsinki Conference (1975), the final document of the Vienna Meeting (1989), etc.

1.2 Trends in the development of a network of inpatient institutions

The formation of a modern social service system began in the 90s of the last century. The “Concept for the development of social services for the population in the Russian Federation” was adopted (Ministry of Social Protection of Russia, 1993) and the development of optimal models of social services for the population in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation began, and the first social service institutions of a new type were created.

The number of elderly and disabled people living in these inpatient social service institutions reaches 240 thousand people, of which more than 5.5 thousand. are participants in the Great Patriotic War. Of the total number of elderly citizens living in boarding homes, approximately 80 thousand. people with irreversible impairments of motor and other functions are on constant bed rest.

In inpatient social service institutions, much attention is paid to the organization of medical care, anti-epidemic, sanitary and hygienic and social rehabilitation measures. Work has been completed on the transition to an insurance system of medical care for elderly citizens and disabled people living in boarding homes.

Since 1991 the number of boarding houses of various types increased from 737 to 1250, and the number of places in them increased by 15 thousand. Over the past two years, 6 thousand new places have been put into operation, inpatient care an additional 8.4 thousand people were covered. This made it possible to get closer to solving one of the acute problems of the elderly population - meeting the need for constant outside care.

The main trends in the development of stationary social service institutions are the disaggregation of multi-occupancy boarding houses and thereby improving the conditions for organizing the living space of elderly people and people with disabilities.

A network of low-capacity boarding houses for the elderly and disabled (10-20 beds) has been formed, which are mostly opened in rural areas, which allows inpatient social services to be brought closer to the elderly citizens who need them and not to tear them away from their usual environment.

Federal state statistical observation data show an increase in the number of inpatient social service institutions.

But at the same time, government statistics indicate the unsatisfactory condition of a certain part of social facilities. Of the 3,875 buildings belonging to social service institutions for elderly and disabled citizens, 838 buildings require reconstruction, 190 buildings are in disrepair, and 294 buildings are dilapidated. In these institutions, it is difficult to ensure adaptation and rehabilitation processes and a normal lifestyle for people, especially in the period immediately following admission to a boarding home.

The current trend in the development of stationary social service institutions is such that social aspects (the ability of clients to adapt and live in society, solving problems of social rehabilitation of clients, organizing leisure time) are of particular importance. First of all, this is due to the fact that the requirements for the conditions and quality of life of older people and people with disabilities have increased significantly.

Work on organizing social adaptation of older people at home:

Compact accommodation, which contributes to an individual and differentiated approach to clients;

A friendly socio-psychological climate, when almost everyone knows each other, facilitates the socio-psychological adaptation of elderly people and people with disabilities in new conditions and helps improve the quality of social and medical services.

Citizens living in stationary conditions of social services are elderly and disabled people, representing a unique community of people forced to unite by similar living conditions. The life reality of clients of boarding homes is characterized by the signs that make up the concept of “hospitalism”. These signs include:

Monotonous lifestyle;

Limited connections with the outside world;

Poverty of impressions;

Overcrowding, lack of living space;

Dependence on staff;

Limited employment opportunities;

Regulation of the activities of a social institution.

As positive aspects of the dynamics of development of stationary social service institutions, one should indicate the improvement of living conditions in them by reducing the average number of inhabitants and increasing the area of ​​bedrooms per bed almost to sanitary standards.

According to researchers, at present, when the policy of registration has been proclaimed individual characteristics and human needs, it is necessary to change the internal structure of boarding houses. The professionalization of this type of social service should begin with the attraction of social work specialists, the introduction of other necessary specialists into the workforce, raising the status of social work as a whole, and creating a modern material and technical base.

Thus, the tasks of optimally meeting the needs of older people are relevant: the creation of small-capacity boarding houses (up to 100 places), the organization of boarding houses in each municipality. Ensuring the functioning of inpatient institutions as social service boarding houses, creating home living conditions and psychological comfort in them, strengthening the material and technical base and human resources of social service institutions, rational placement of boarding houses, taking into account the social interests of older people, their psychological needs and attachments to specific habitat.

1.3 Social adaptation of older people

An analysis of a number of literary sources on the problem under study indicates a diversity of views in the definition of the concept of “social adaptation”. Adaptation is understood as a dynamic state of a system, a direct process of adaptation to environmental conditions on the one hand, and on the other, a property of any living organism that ensures its stability in changing conditions.

The goal of social adaptation of elderly and disabled people is to preserve and prolong the social activity of clients. Development of the personal potential of older people, providing the opportunity to spend their free time profitably and pleasantly, satisfying various cultural and educational needs, needs for communication and recognition, as well as awakening new interests, facilitating the establishment of friendly contacts, enhancing the personal activity of older people and people with disabilities, formation, support and increasing their vitality.

The key to determining the content of the concept “social adaptation” is the essence of the adaptation process itself, i.e. the problem of human survival through harmonious adaptation to changing environmental conditions. The sociological reference book gives the following definition of the concept of “social adaptation”: “The active development by an individual or group of a new social environment.”

Similar approaches to determining the essence of the process of social adaptation are observed in psychology. For example, in the psychological dictionary, ed. V.P. Zinchenko considers social adaptation, on the one hand, as a process of an individual’s active adaptation to the conditions of the social environment, and on the other, as a result of that process.

When considering the concept of “social adaptation”, one should not separate the psychological aspect from the social one, since adaptation is a complex phenomenon.

Social adaptation is the socio-psychological process that, when progressing favorably, brings a person into a state of social adaptation. This state is achieved by adaptive behavior, characterized by successful decision-making, initiative, and a clear definition of one’s own future. Or the active adaptation of a person to the conditions of the social environment. The problem of social adaptation of elderly and disabled people to living conditions at home is especially relevant.

Stages of adaptation:

Initial (acquaintance, learning about the requirements of the environment or group);

Stage of tolerance (I don’t want to, but I have to);

Accommodation (acceptance of rules of behavior in a social environment or group);

Assimilation (full acceptance of the rules of behavior that the group imposes).

Social adaptation of older citizens at home receives a special perspective. It is unique and different from the prevailing idea of ​​social adaptation. This uniqueness is explained by a number of circumstances: the predominance of elderly citizens; serious health condition; limited ability to move.

Changes in the psyche in old age are manifested in memory impairment for new events while the reproduction of old ones is intact, in attention disorders (distractibility, instability), in a slowdown in the pace of thought processes, disturbances in the emotional sphere, in a decrease in the ability to chronological and spatial orientation, in motor skills disorders (tempo , smoothness, coordination). In boarding homes there is:

Limited living space;

Lack of domestic comfort;

Psychological incompatibility of residents;

Dependence on others;

Formal attitude of the staff.

These groups of circumstances reflect the features of social adaptation of elderly people in boarding schools.

O.I. Zotova and I.K. Kryazheva emphasizes the activity of the individual in the process of social adaptation. They consider socio-psychological adaptation as the interaction of the individual and the social environment, which leads to the correct balance between the goals and values ​​of the individual and the group. Adaptation occurs when the social environment contributes to the fulfillment of the needs and aspirations of the individual, serves to reveal and develop his individuality.

The description of the adaptation process includes such concepts as “overcoming”, “purposefulness”, “individuality development”, “self-affirmation”.

Most domestic psychologists distinguish two levels of personality adaptation: complete adaptation, disadaptation. A.N. Zhmyrikov suggests taking into account the following adaptation criteria:

The degree of integration of the individual with the wet and microenvironment;

The degree of realization of intrapersonal potential;

Emotional well-being.

A.A. Rean connects the construction of a model of social adaptation with internal and external criteria. In this case, the internal criterion presupposes psycho-emotional stability, personal conformity, a state of satisfaction, the absence of distress, a sense of threat and a state of emotional and psychological tension. The external criterion reflects the compliance of the individual’s actual behavior with the attitudes of society, the requirements of the environment, the rules accepted in society, and the criteria of normative behavior. Thus, maladjustment according to external criteria can occur simultaneously with adaptation according to internal criteria.

Systemic social adaptation is adaptation according to both external and internal criteria.

Thus, social adaptation implies ways of adapting, regulating, and harmonizing the interaction of an individual with the environment. In the process of social adaptation, a person acts as an active subject who adapts to the environment in accordance with his needs, interests, aspirations and actively determines himself.

Social and psychological adaptation of older people living at home in inpatient institutions occupies a central place in the activities of specialists. The most difficult for an elderly person are the first 6 months of living in an inpatient unit.

Signs of unsatisfactory passage of the adaptation period: deteriorating mood, indifference, melancholy, feeling of hopelessness. Emotional instability: tears, irritability, short temper, etc.

Types of adaptation:

Constructive (optimally adjusted people) can adapt to any environment. Needs and a clear life position are dominant;

Defensive (generally adapting adequately), the needs to protect one’s own “I” come to the fore, he adapts at the expense of himself and can protect himself;

Active-aggressive - blame for one’s own difficulties is attributed to external circumstances “it’s not me who is to blame.” They are characterized by aggressiveness and inadequate perception of reality;

Passive - they are characterized by passivity, self-pity, depression, lack of initiative.

After the quarantine observation period, work on social rehabilitation with older people continues, taking into account personal, age characteristics and health status.

At this stage, the role of social and pedagogical education, the efforts of the psychologist and, in general, all service personnel to maintain a favorable psychological climate among residents is great.

Main criteria for the effectiveness of social and social adaptation work:

Performance criteria (characterized by the high interest of older people and people with disabilities in social and social adaptation work);

Optimality criteria (characterized by maximum efficiency with the least physical, mental and time costs on the part of clients);

Criteria for motivational significance (characterized by the creation of conditions for increasing customer activity);

Controllability criteria (characterized by clients’ predisposition to various types of social and social adaptation work);

Systematicity criteria (characterized by the systematic use of each of the areas of social and social-adaptation work).

In general, to work with older people, a social worker must communicate with a doctor and medical staff, using data from the medical history, about past life, get acquainted with the client’s health status, his mobility capabilities, and self-care abilities.

The task of the whole society, and the social worker in particular, is to ensure that the elderly person does not develop a feeling of alienation and uselessness. This is achievable if he is surrounded by warmth and care, and has the opportunity to maximize his spiritual and intellectual potential.

There is a positive growth trend in the number of social services of an adaptive nature, focused on creating the best conditions for the life of older citizens in inpatient institutions.

Thus, determining the prospects for the development of meaningful activities of social and social adaptation work, for municipal stationary institutions of social services for the population, we will highlight:

Improving work in accordance with state standards of social services;

Development and implementation of social projects;

Improving methodological support for the process of social adaptation;

Introduction of innovative forms and methods of working with clients in all boarding schools;

Individual and differentiated approach to the provision of social adaptation services.

This is what affects the final result - improving the quality of life of clients of inpatient social service institutions.

Conclusions from the first chapter:

1. The priority direction of social work with older people is organizing their living environment in such a way that an elderly person always has a choice of ways to interact with this environment. Freedom of choice gives rise to a feeling of security, confidence in the future, and responsibility for one’s own and other people’s lives. An elderly person, even if he is a client of a social service, is a subject, i.e. decision maker.

2. The current trend in the development of inpatient social service institutions is such that social aspects (the ability of clients to adapt and live in society, solving problems of social rehabilitation of clients, organizing leisure time) are of particular importance. This is primarily due to the fact that the requirements for the conditions and quality of life of older people and people with disabilities have increased significantly.

3. Social adaptation of older citizens at home receives a special perspective. It is unique and different from the prevailing idea of ​​social adaptation. This uniqueness is explained by a number of circumstances: the predominance of elderly citizens; serious health condition; limited ability to move.

2. STUDY OF SOCIAL ADAPTATION OF ELDERLY CITIZENS IN GAUSO KTSSON "RADUGA"IN BUGULMINSKY MUNICIPAL DISTRICT

2.1 Comprehensive characteristics of GAUSO KTSSON "RADUGA"

The state autonomous social service institution “Integrated Center for Social Services for the Population “Raduga” of the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Republic of Tatarstan in the Bugulminsky Municipal District” was created in accordance with the Federal Law “On Autonomous Institutions” dated 03.11. 2006 on the basis of the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tajikistan dated March 22. 2010 No. 172 “On the creation of the GAUSO “KTsSON “Raduga” MTZ and SZ RT in the Bugulma municipal district”, is a non-profit organization created to ensure the implementation of the powers of the authorities of the Republic of Tatarstan in the field of social services provided for by the legislation of the Russian Federation. The activities of the institutions are aimed at social services , in connection with which it carries out:

Inpatient services, including the provision of living quarters, food, clothing, shoes and soft equipment in accordance with approved standards;

Providing social services to elderly citizens and disabled people who have partially or completely lost the ability to self-care and need constant outside care and supervision;

Creation of living conditions that are most adequate to their age and health status;

Providing medical care;

Carrying out rehabilitation measures of a medical, psychological, social and therapeutic-labor nature, taking into account their age and health status, in order to restore lost or impaired abilities for everyday and social activities;

Organization of feasible work activities, rest and leisure for elderly citizens and disabled people.

The work of the CCSON "RADUGA" and its structural divisions is carried out in accordance with the requirements of state standards of social services for the population and is aimed at fulfilling the state task for the provision of public services.

One of the factors influencing the work of the institution and the quality of service provision is the staffing level and qualifications of the staff. social adaptation home service

One of the priority areas of the institution’s activities is social, social and medical services at home for elderly and disabled citizens.

The main goal is to maximize the stay of older people in their usual habitat, support their personal and social status, and protect their rights and legitimate interests.

The reception schedule for recipients of services from GAUSO “KTSSON “Rainbow” is carried out according to the schedule.

The department of home-based social services (including social and medical services) was created to temporarily (up to 6 months) or permanently provide citizens who have partially lost the ability to self-care and need outside support with social and domestic assistance in home conditions.

Social services at home are one of the main forms of social services, aimed at maximizing the possible extension of the stay of elderly citizens and disabled people in their usual social environment in order to maintain their social status, as well as to protect their rights and legitimate interests.

The activities of the department are aimed at:

To solve the problems of lonely elderly people who have partially lost the ability to self-care, giving old people the opportunity to live out their lives in their own walls.

Providing qualified care to citizens - providing those served with social assistance at home, depending on the degree and nature of need.

Creating favorable conditions for the persons served to stay in a familiar social environment, maintaining living conditions in accordance with hygienic requirements, providing social services in accordance with state standards of social services and carrying out rehabilitation activities, observing the principles of humanity, targeting, continuity, accessibility and confidentiality of assistance.

The work of the department of home-based social services covers not only elderly citizens and disabled people living in the city of Bugulma, but also elderly citizens living in rural settlements of the Bugulma municipal district: the urban settlement of Karabash, the village of Kudashevo, the village of Kyzyl- Chishma, Pobeda village, Vostochny village, village. Staro-Isakovo, Novo-Sumarokovo village, Klyuchi village, Vyazovka village, Malaya Bugulma village, Spasskoye village, Berezovka village, Akbash village, Andreevka village, Alga village, Tat-Dymskoye village, Petrovka, Zelyonaya Roshcha village.

2.2 Organization of social adaptation of elderly citizens in the conditions of GAUSO KTSSON "RADUGA"

Social services at home are one of the main forms of social services, aimed at maximizing the possible extension of the residence of elderly citizens and people with disabilities in their usual social environment in order to maintain their social status, as well as to protect their rights and legitimate interests.

The home care department is created to temporarily or permanently provide social assistance in home conditions to citizens who have partially lost the ability to self-care and need outside support.

The number of people served by the department of home-based social services of GAUSO KCSON "Raduga" for 12 months of 2015 is 551 people (2013 - 553 people) - the indicators remain at the same level, thanks to the work of employees of the department of home-based social services carried out to identify elderly citizens and people with disabilities those in need of social services.

The number of 551 people served (553 people in 2013) in groups of guaranteed social services in accordance with the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tajikistan No. 374 dated May 10, 2011 are presented in Table 1.

Table 1 - Number of people served by group of guaranteed social services

List No. 1	List No. 2	List No. 3	List No. 4

Served in rural areas: 199 people.

Urban areas served: 352 people.

Serves elderly citizens over 80 years old - 256 people.

The number of people served under the terms of free provision of guaranteed social services was 37 people (2013 - 36 people).

Number of people served (UVOV pension below PM) free of charge with additional provision. Services - 44 people (2013 - 31 people) - the figure remains the same.

The number of people served for a fee according to the guaranteed list was 470 people (2013 - 458 people).

The number of people served and receiving additional social services was 448 people (2013 - 448 people) - the figure increases by 18%, because Elderly citizens with limited mobility and self-care have an increased need for additional social services, primarily washing the floor, cleaning carpets, cooking, washing dishes, washing the bathtub, sink, toilet, clearing snow, etc.

Indicators for withdrawal and acceptance for service in the department of home-based social services of GAUSO KCSON "Raduga" are shown in Table 3.

Table 3 - Indicators for withdrawal and acceptance for service in the department of home-based social services

In the department of home-based social services of the GAUSO KCSON "Raduga" a lot of work is being done to introduce new innovative technologies aimed at improving the lives of older people and people with disabilities, improving the quality of service in the provision of social services by social workers of the department of home-based social services.

Visits of the “Mobile Brigade” to provide social services to elderly citizens and people with disabilities at their place of residence are an innovative technology implemented by the Raduga Integrated Center for Social Services for the Population.

Based on the focus of the visit, it is possible to form an interdepartmental team, including specialists from various government bodies and organizations (by agreement).

The purpose of the Mobile Brigade is to provide prompt response to provide and assist in resolving emergency situations that pose threats to the life and health of elderly and disabled citizens.

Over the 9 months of 2014, more than 35 visits by the Mobile Brigade of various directions were carried out.

In March 2014, the “Spring Week of Kindness” was held in the department of home-based social services of the State Autonomous Educational Institution of Kyrgyzstan’s Social Services Center “Rainbow”. The event was attended by student volunteers from institutions of the Bugulma municipal district and assistance was provided to 100 elderly citizens and disabled people who were served in the department of home-based social services of the GAUSO KCSON "Raduga" of the Bugulma municipal district, as well as to all elderly citizens and disabled people who applied to the KCSON "Rainbow" with a request for charitable volunteer assistance. Services were provided to provide such types of work as washing windows, walls, preventing the threat of flooding of cellars in private households of elderly citizens during the spring melting of snow.

Social workers in the department of home-based social services are doing a lot of work to introduce new innovative technologies into their work when working with elderly people and people with disabilities.

When working with older people, innovative technologies are used: gardenotherapy, occupational therapy at home (working at home with paper, plasticine, threads), bibliotherapy, herbal medicine, physical therapy at home, meals at home for the elderly and disabled.

Specialists from the department of home-based social services, together with the City Council of Veterans and public organizations, with the involvement of philanthropists, carry out a lot of work to congratulate elderly citizens and disabled people living in the city of Bugulma and the Bugulma municipal district on anniversaries (80, 85, 90,95,100- anniversary).

Employees of the home-based social services department are conducting further examinations of the living conditions of WWII veterans (UVOV, IVOV, UVOV widows, home front workers) in preparation for and provision of celebration in the Republic of Tatarstan of the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

In October 2014, the following events were held in the department of home-based social services of GAUSA KTsSON "Rainbow" for the International Day of Older Persons:

1. Event “The ABC of Good”.

An event to organize volunteer assistance to elderly citizens and disabled people of the State Autonomous Educational Institution of Kyrgyzstan's Center for Social Security "Rainbow". The event was attended by 22 elderly citizens and people with disabilities. State Budgetary Institution Volunteer students of the Bugulma Medical School (Technical School) assisted elderly citizens and disabled people in cleaning apartments and washing windows, and in preparing living quarters for the winter period. 50 student volunteers took part in the action.

2. During the ten-day period for the elderly, organized by the administration of the Bugulma municipal district in the department of home-based social services, 31 people took advantage of benefits and free social services, of which:

Bathing - 18 people.

Discounted hairdressing salon services - 16 people.

Preferential shoe repair services - 1 person.

Preferential clothing repair services - 3 people.

3. On October 1, the employees of the department, together with representatives of the Bugulma City Council of War and Labor Veterans, organized a trip to the Bavlinsky boarding house for the elderly and disabled, located in the village. Krym-Saray, Bavlinsky district, with the aim of visiting the Buglmin residents living in this institution and congratulating them on the International Day of Older Persons. Pensioners were delivered sweets, cookies and pies made by the social rehabilitation department. The event was held in accordance with the action plan developed by the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Republic of Tatarstan under the name “Tugan Yak (Native Land)”.

4. For the pensioners served by the liquidated events, tea parties were organized in schools, to which they were assigned according to the lists provided by the Department of Social Protection of the Population. Social workers accompanied the wards to the venue of the event.

5. In rural settlements (including the town of Karabash), where social workers work, festive events were held, tea parties were organized, and gifts were distributed to those who could not come for health reasons.

6. For pensioners whose enterprises and organizations were not liquidated, such as BMZ, Tatnipineft, Nefteoftomatika, Reto, Locomotive Depot, tea parties, food packages, as well as cash payments to pensioners were organized.

Social workers took an active part in accompanying the wards to the venue and assisted in the delivery of food packages.

Work on innovative technologies in the department of home-based social services.

Occupational therapy (occupational therapy, occupational therapy) is the targeted involvement of patients in work activities for therapeutic and adaptation purposes.

Reminiscence therapy and exercise therapy are under development. The coverage of those served is 1 person per therapy.

Therapy with memories is carried out by social worker Nikitina A.I. with the served Kandaurova A.D.

Social worker Nayrova S.Z. is engaged in physical therapy. with serviced Kamskova R.G.

Bibliotherapy involves three people served, two of whom live in rural areas, one in the city. The work is carried out by three social workers: Nasyrova S.Z. - with the serviced Gatiyatulina R.R., Malikova N.N. - with the serviced Akhmedzyanov I.I., Malikova L.G. - with the serviced Gunova K.M.

Occupational therapy at home.

Unfortunately, elderly people receiving home care very often cannot participate in the club work of social security institutions for a number of reasons (remoteness of institutions from the elderly person’s place of residence, poor health, and so on) if the elderly person cannot come to the club, then the club will come to him.

Occupational therapy at home can help them. In addition to the owner of the house, members of the mini-club can be his neighbors in the house (5-7 people). Club members gather for club activities that help them overcome loneliness, revive interest in life, introduce older people to creative development, help maintain physical activity, good spirits and optimism.

The main goals and objectives of occupational therapy at home:

Maximize the stay of older people in their familiar home environment;

Protect the rights and interests of older people, constantly improving their quality of life;

Help older people overcome social isolation;

Provide an opportunity to communicate;

Help establish new social connections;

Provide moral support to older people;

Organize adequate leisure time, bring a dose of optimism and a sense of celebration into the lives of older people;

Development of fine motor skills of the hands;

Help older people identify, develop and strengthen their creative potential, satisfy cognitive interests, promote active participation in public life;

Maintenance physical abilities an elderly person.

The effectiveness of occupational therapy.

Occupational therapy in combination with cultural and leisure activities has an important rehabilitation and preventive value in combating suicide, depression, and neuropsychiatric disorders in the elderly and senile.

In addition, occupational therapy is an active method of restoring impaired functions through various work aimed at creating a useful product. Occupational therapy is based on systematic training of everyday and industrial movements, restoration of impaired or lost motor skills. Occupational therapy normalizes the psyche of an elderly person, stimulates the functions of the affected system (organ) and is an important component in the overall system of social rehabilitation of clients.

Occupational therapy has two main directions: occupational activity and occupational therapy. Occupational therapy is filling the free time of an elderly person different types arts and crafts and other creativity that improve his psycho-emotional state.

Occupational therapy is the use of various labor processes and labor operations for therapeutic purposes. Occupational therapy is used by specialists in the rehabilitation of elderly people with disorders of a wide variety of functions - respiratory and cardiovascular, mental and speech, in the restoration of motor and sensory functions. The psychological aspect of occupational therapy sets it apart from other therapeutic interventions. Occupational therapy promotes the patient’s awareness of his ability to perform work, feeling like a full-fledged member of the team, family in the future, strengthening interests in his own life and activities, social life, establishing interpersonal connections in the process of work. The emotional charge and maximum interest of an elderly person in occupational therapy activities contributes to the overall health-improving effect of the latter.

By engaging in various objective activities with interest, the patient can devote much more time to them, separating the threshold of psychological fatigue and thereby gradually preparing the body for an increase in overall physical activity.

2.3 Study of problems of adaptation of elderly people receiving home care

At this stage, a questionnaire was conducted aimed at identifying the problems of adaptation of elderly people at home, who are clients of the State Educational Institution of Educational Institutions of the Raduga Children's Center for Social Security.

The study involved 6 elderly people.

Purpose of the questionnaire: to study the adaptation of older people

The questionnaire consists of 9 questions (Appendix 1).

Before starting the survey, the instruction “Dear respondent! We ask you to take part in a survey to study adaptation of older people at home. You are presented with a list of questions. Your task is to read each statement in turn and circle the statement number on the form that you agree with. Thank you in advance for your cooperation, your opinion is very important to us. Please indicate one of the suggested answers."

The following results were obtained during the study.

As a result of the survey, it was revealed how often a social worker visits elderly people; the majority of them answered “quite often, two, three times a week” are presented in Figure 1.

Figure 1 - Social worker visiting older people

To the question “How often do you ask for a service from the additional list of services offered?” responded that they receive services constantly (30%), use services two or three times a month (50%), do not use services (20%) are represented.

To the question “Are you satisfied with your social worker?” respondents answered positively, are presented in Figure 3.

To the question “Is it easy for you to communicate with him?” respondents answered that it was easy. Presented in Figure 4.

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Introduction

The relevance of research. Recently, the world has been experiencing changes in the age culture of the population: general aging or the “demographic revolution”, there were 40 million people of retirement age, and by 2014 this figure is expected to increase to 57 million.

By this year, 11% of the world's population will be people over 60 years of age. According to the UN, the number of people aged 60 years and older will reach over a billion people in the next half century.

Thus, there is a progressive aging process. This means that social changes and the fate of the human population may depend on how effectively the needs of older people are met.

A significant increase in the proportion of elderly people and pensioners in the general population sharply raises the question of how old age is experienced in the immediate social environment. Therefore, the study of socio-psychological issues of the elderly represents one of the pressing problems of modern science, since various personal changes in elderly people are possible, predominantly of a non-psychotic nature, leading to varying degrees of disruption of their interaction with the social environment.

Object of study are older people as a socio-demographic group.

Subject of research are factors influencing the social adaptation of older people to modern conditions.

The purpose of the study is study of methods and factors influencing the nature and effectiveness of social adaptation of older people to the modern social situation.

Tasks, that were decided during the research process were as follows:

1) Consider the social problems of older people in modern society.

2) Characterize the essence and content of social adaptation of older people.

3) Consider the problems of social adaptation in old age.

4) Characterize inpatient institutions as a space of social adaptation.

5) Research the technology of social adaptation of older people in inpatient institutions.

Radical changes in the system of Russian state power, political and economic spheres inevitably lead to significant changes in public consciousness, changes in individual and mass psychology, and value orientations of the population, a significant part of which are elderly people. The lifestyle of the elderly, their values, experience and wisdom form an important basis of modern Russian culture. The process of social adaptation in our country is characterized by: social instability, conflicts of normative ideas about the relationship between the individual and society, an increase in social risks and social tension, increased social stratification, a crisis in the mechanisms of social regulation. All this makes it difficult for older people to adapt to their age-related changes, to the age of “social losses” (status, work, roles, etc.), to the social situation in the country as a whole.

The reality of life for most older people remains very difficult. The sharp differentiation of the population by income level, the increase in the number of low-income citizens, which primarily include older people, actualizes the problem of their social adaptation and protection.

The continuing growth in the number of socially maladjusted citizens requires special attention to the elderly and older people, because with a sharp drop in living standards, the elderly suffer the most. Many elderly people, especially single people, the disabled, and the sick are forced to live on the brink of poverty and hunger. Material difficulties, psychological, medical, social problems are aggravated by the collapse of previous ideals, values, reduced adaptive ability, and a feeling of being unclaimed socially. The result is a decrease in life expectancy (especially for men), an increase in mortality, anger, aggressiveness, widespread depressive states, apathy, as well as ongoing pain for the past, nostalgia for a calm and stable life.

The adoption by Russian society of Western forms of economy, based on fierce competition and the struggle of financial groups, leads to aggravation of interpersonal relations at all levels: in production, in the political sphere, in the family; to the dehumanization of traditional relationships between children and parents, youth and the elderly. In a period of socio-economic disadvantage in society, targeted work is needed to develop new forms of humane interactions between young people and representatives of the older generation.

Under these conditions, the role and importance of social institutions, primarily the family, are increasing, capable of providing social adaptation, protection and support for citizens in need. The family, in these conditions, acquires special significance and becomes a factor of insurance, emotional and social support. Through identification with family, communication with children and grandchildren, older people try to find a place in a new period of their life, where their experience and knowledge are socially in demand. The persisting and even increasing interdependence of generations in the family cannot but influence the fact that caring for elderly parents remains one of the main values ​​in Russian society.

Also, one of the features of adaptation in a boarding home is the difference between the adaptation of men and women. This is explained by the different lifestyles of representatives of both sexes: stronger self-identification of men with professional social roles, and women with family and home roles. It has been noted that if a woman associates her value and successes in life with social roles where the emphasis was on beauty and attractiveness, then awareness and acceptance of a new social status during aging is often perceived as a defeat and the end of her entire life career. At the same time, in cases where a woman associates herself with the roles of “mother” and “wife,” the process of adaptation to old age and new social and environmental conditions occurs less painfully.

In domestic scientific literature the period of old age is considered as one of the phenomena of a person’s life path, which is characterized by the wealth of experience accumulated in the past. At the same time, little is still known about the forms, methods and means of social adaptation of the elderly and elderly as a new physiological and social status.

1 . Theoretical and methodological aspects of the process of social adaptation of older people

1.1 Essence and content of social adaptation

Social adaptation is not only a human condition, but also a process during which a social organism acquires balance and resistance to the influence and influence of the social environment.

Social adaptation acquires exceptional relevance during critical periods, both in human life and during periods of radical economic and social reforms.

Currently, increased attention to the development of this problem is due to the needs of solving practical problems associated with accelerating the process of human adaptation to new conditions in various spheres of life, for example, professional, everyday, political and legal, etc. Impact on the progress of the individual’s inclusion in the new social environment in order to optimize this contradictory process, it is possible only if its essence, structure and mechanisms are known, as well as the specifics of its course in various areas of social life.

Taken together, the works of these scientists have important theoretical and methodological significance and indicate prospects for development in social practice. At the same time, it should be noted that the problem of social adaptation in the system of social protection of the population remains insufficiently studied, which objectively requires more in-depth study, especially in the context of the technologization of social work.

Social adaptation is understood as the process of a person’s active adaptation to new social conditions of life.

In modern scientific literature, problems of adaptation are considered in several directions: biological, medical, pedagogical, psychological, sociological, cybernetic. Philosophical and methodological aspects of social adaptation of groups are presented in the works of V.Yu. Vereshchagina, I.D. Kalaikova, P.I. Tsaregorodtsev and other scientists.

In the process of adaptation, a person acts as an object of influence of the social environment and an active subject, aware of the influence of this environment.

The adaptation process is a wide polyphony of assimilation of social values ​​through socialization mechanisms. Man, as an active subject, masters and uses in his life the products of human civilization, which include managerial, economic, psychological, pedagogical technologies and methods for the development of social space. In fact, all elements of human culture participate in the formation of personality through the mechanism of adaptation, which is an integral part and a necessary dominant of social development. Sociality is the essential side of a person, his qualitative characteristic. The only exceptions here can be mentally ill people or those who have not gone through the stages of socialization since childhood (the “Mowgli effect”).

1.2 Problems of social adaptation in old age

In the modern world, the proportion of older people in the population of most countries is growing. This is due to an increase in average life expectancy. Therefore, the problems of their public, social status, role and place in the family, medical and social rehabilitation, social services and welfare, social care of older people are of extremely important theoretical and even more practical significance.

Of particular importance is the social aspect of aging, which entails serious moral problems. Old age is a transition to a system of new social roles, and therefore to a new system of group and interpersonal relations. Modern European civilization does not have that special moral aura towards the elderly, which is traditionally preserved in Eastern cultures. In the ordinary consciousness and value system of Western people, the biological interpretation of the problem of aging turns out to be dominant. From this point of view, the individual is considered mainly as a subject of reproduction: having realized this function, he becomes burdensome for his biological species. This approach leaves virtually no room for the higher, moral aspect of the problem of old age. Understanding the moral dimensions of aging and the social position of the elderly requires considerable effort.

Existing attempts by society to make it easier for the elderly in the final stage of their lives are rational; they are limited to such measures as pension legislation, medical services, nursing homes, etc.

The modern world is not conducive to the social integration of older people. A paradoxical situation arises when medicine pursues the goal of prolonging life, and the sphere of values, including the new experience of humanity, does not guarantee the elderly a sense of social usefulness.

Thus, the problem of old age has a distinct moral level. All traditional values of humanity are ultimately associated with old age, which is why the image of a good, worthy, happy, beautiful old age contains such great meaning, which should not be obscured by the values ​​of scientific and technological progress.

The rhythm of aging significantly depends on the lifestyle of older people (usually pensioners), their position in the family, standard of living, working conditions, social and psychological factors.

The transition of a person to the elderly group significantly changes his relationship with society and such value-normative concepts as the purpose and meaning of life, goodness and happiness, etc. People’s lifestyles change significantly. Previously, they were associated with society, production, and social activities. As pensioners (by age), they, as a rule, lose constant contact with production. However, as members of society they remain involved in certain activities in various spheres of social life.

Retirement is especially difficult for people whose work activity was highly valued in the past, but now (for example, in modern Russian conditions) is considered unnecessary and useless. Practice shows that a break from work in some cases negatively affects the health, vitality, and psyche of people. And this is natural, since work (hard work, of course) is the source of longevity, one of the most important conditions for maintaining good health.

People's lifestyles are largely determined by how they spend their free time and what opportunities society creates for this. By actively engaging in social activities, older people make their lives more fulfilling.

One of the socio-psychological factors influencing a person’s adaptation to old age is stress. Stress is understood as a set of nonspecific reactions of the body caused by any stress factor. For an elderly person, changes in life can serve as a stress factor - retirement, death of a loved one, loneliness, moving to another place of residence, emotional conflict.

There are three stages in the development of stress reactions: the mobilization stage, the adaptation stage and the exhaustion stage. At the first stage, the body is mobilized: blood pressure rises, the tone of the nervous system increases, and fear, anxiety or aggression may arise from the psyche. The next stage is characterized by the development of adaptive reactions with the subsequent normalization of physiological functions and mental processes. Moderate stress, activating one of the body's main regulatory systems - the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system - promotes the development of adaptive behavior.

Thus, a person adapts to a stressful situation and his vital functions do not suffer. This condition is called “eustress”.

In cases where a person is unable to accept the current life situation and adapt to it, a stage of exhaustion begins, characterized by mental disorders and the development of a number of diseases. This state is called “distress”. A state of constant, chronic stress has a harmful effect on the human body and contributes to its premature aging. Stress contributes to a decrease in immunity, the development of atherosclerosis, hypertension, coronary heart disease, gastric and duodenal ulcers.

Social and psychological problems arising as a result of human aging are multifaceted, and their solution requires a whole range of preventive measures aimed at increasing their vitality and adaptation in society.

1.3 Inpatient institutions as a space for social adaptation

The formation of a modern social service system began in the 90s of the last century. The “Concept for the development of social services for the population in the Russian Federation” was adopted (Ministry of Social Protection of Russia, 1993) and the development of optimal models of social services for the population in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation began, and the first social service institutions of a new type were created.

Currently, the main burden is borne by state and municipal inpatient social service institutions (general boarding homes, psychoneurological boarding homes, gerontological centers, gerontopsychiatric departments). A total of 1250 institutions.

The number of elderly and disabled people living in these inpatient social service institutions reaches 240 thousand people, of which more than 5.5 thousand. are participants in the Great Patriotic War. Of the total number of elderly citizens living in boarding homes, approximately 80 thousand. people with irreversible impairments of motor and other functions are on constant bed rest.

In inpatient social service institutions, much attention is paid to the organization of medical care, anti-epidemic, sanitary and hygienic and social rehabilitation measures. Work has been completed on the transition to an insurance system of medical care for elderly citizens and disabled people living in boarding homes.

Since 1991 the number of boarding houses of various types increased from 737 to 1250, and the number of places in them increased by 15 thousand. Over the past two years, 6 thousand new places have been put into operation, and an additional 8.4 thousand people have been provided with inpatient services. This made it possible to get closer to solving one of the acute problems of the elderly population - meeting the need for constant outside care.

The main trends in the development of stationary social service institutions are the disaggregation of multi-occupancy boarding houses and thereby improving the conditions for organizing the living space of elderly people and people with disabilities.

A network of low-capacity boarding houses for the elderly and disabled (10-20 beds) has been formed, which are mostly opened in rural areas, which allows inpatient social services to be brought closer to the elderly citizens who need them and not to tear them away from their usual environment.

Federal state statistical observation data show an increase in the number of inpatient social service institutions.

But at the same time, government statistics indicate the unsatisfactory condition of a certain part of social facilities. Of the 3,875 buildings belonging to social service institutions for elderly and disabled citizens, 838 buildings require reconstruction, 190 buildings are in disrepair, and 294 buildings are dilapidated. In these institutions, it is difficult to ensure adaptation and rehabilitation processes and a normal lifestyle for people, especially in the period immediately following admission to a boarding home.

The following types of inpatient institutions operate in the region: boarding homes for the elderly and disabled, municipal boarding homes, psychoneurological boarding schools, and boarding homes for mentally retarded children.

The work on organizing the social adaptation of older people in municipal boarding homes has its own specifics:

· compact accommodation, which contributes to an individual and differentiated approach to clients;

· a friendly socio-psychological climate, when almost everyone knows each other, facilitates the socio-psychological adaptation of the elderly and disabled in new conditions and helps improve the quality of social and medical services.

Citizens living in stationary conditions of social services are elderly and disabled people, representing a unique community of people forced to unite by similar living conditions. The life reality of clients of boarding homes is characterized by the signs that make up the concept of “hospitalism”. These signs include:

b monotonous lifestyle;

ь limited connections with the outside world;

ь poverty of impressions;

b crowding, lack of living space;

b dependence on personnel;

b limited employment opportunities;

b regulation of the activities of a social institution.

As positive aspects of the dynamics of development of stationary social service institutions, one should indicate the improvement of living conditions in them by reducing the average number of inhabitants and increasing the area of ​​bedrooms per bed almost to sanitary standards.

The average capacity of a general boarding house over 13 years decreased from 293 to 138 places (more than 2 times), the average area of ​​living rooms increased to 6.91 square meters. m. the given indicators reflect the trend of disaggregation of existing inpatient social service institutions and increasing the comfort of living in them. The noted dynamics are largely due to the expansion of the network of low-capacity boarding houses.

According to researchers, at present, when a policy has been proclaimed to take into account individual characteristics and needs of a person, it is necessary to change the internal structure of boarding houses. The professionalization of this type of social service should begin with the attraction of social work specialists, the introduction of other necessary specialists into the workforce, raising the status of social work as a whole, and creating a modern material and technical base.

Thus, the tasks of optimally meeting the needs of older people are relevant: the creation of small-capacity boarding houses (up to 100 places), the organization of boarding houses in each municipality. Ensuring the functioning of inpatient institutions as social service boarding houses, creating home living conditions and psychological comfort in them, strengthening the material and technical base and human resources of social service institutions, rational placement of boarding houses, taking into account the social interests of older people, their psychological needs and attachments to specific habitat.

Thus, at any level when developing Social Policy, two leading principles are distinguished:

1) validity. Social policy must be calculated according to the necessary resources;

2) realism. Social policy should be focused on practical solutions to the most significant social problems for a given period of time.

In the implementation of social policy, two principles are also adopted:

1) specification. Manifests itself in forecasting social processes, drawing up social processes, drawing up social and economic programs, modeling socio-economic processes;

2) effectiveness.

Until 2015 it is necessary to comprehensively improve the mechanism for implementing the directions of state policy regarding older people as a special socio-demographic group. This means the following:

Justification of decisions made, federal and religious targeted programs aimed at supporting older people. Examination of bills and draft regulations at the federal and regional levels for their possible impact and expected consequences for older citizens;

Ensuring that all older people, if appropriate, have access to all forms of medical care. Creation in the Russian Federation of an extensive system of geriatric care for the population, consisting of specialized offices and institutions and having the appropriate personnel potential. Formation of a palliative care system, including hospices, improvement of the system of gerontopsychiatric care;

Consistent increase in the real content of pensions, taking into account the growth of consumer prices and the dynamics of average monthly wages in the country;

Development of a network of institutions providing social assistance and social services to older people in their usual environment, primarily at home. Introduction of innovative models of social services;

Improving the supply of gerodietetic products to older people that have therapeutic and prophylactic value;

Providing elderly citizens with opportunities for feasible employment in the state and non-state sectors of the economy;

Maintaining social and cultural activity of older people, etc.

Article 7 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation states that “The Russian Federation is a social state, the policy of which is aimed at creating conditions that ensure a decent life and free development of people.” Article 17 “recognizes and guarantees the rights and freedoms of man and citizen in accordance with generally recognized principles and norms of international law and in accordance with this Constitution.”

The social living conditions of older people are primarily determined by their state of health. Self-esteem is widely used as an indicator of health status. Due to the fact that the aging process does not occur in the same way for certain groups and individuals, self-esteem varies greatly.

Another indicator of health status is active life activity, which decreases in older people due to chronic diseases, deterioration of hearing, vision, and the presence of orthopedic problems. According to WHO, the incidence rate of older people is almost 6 times higher than that of young people.

Financial situation is the only problem that can compete in its importance with health. Elderly people are alarmed about their financial situation, the level of inflation, and the high cost of medical care. According to A.G. Simakov, there are significant differences in the psyche of older people living at home and in nursing homes.

Modern theories aging play an important role in organizing social work with older people, because they interpret and generalize experience, information and observation results, and help predict the future. Another indicator of health status is active life activity, which decreases in older people due to chronic diseases, deterioration of hearing, vision, and the presence of orthopedic problems. According to WHO, the incidence rate of older people is almost 6 times higher than that of young people.

The current trend in the development of stationary social service institutions is such that social aspects (the ability of clients to adapt and live in society, solving problems of social rehabilitation of clients, organizing leisure time) are of particular importance. This is primarily due to the fact that the requirements for the conditions and quality of life of older people and people with disabilities have increased significantly.

Demographic aging is an important feature of the modern world. The age structure of the population is an essential characteristic of any country.

2. Technology of social adaptation of older people in inpatient institutions

Activity of the “semi-rest” type, that is, something in between work and rest. It allows you to do what you love, receiving from it a certain material benefit, as well as satisfaction in cultural, family and socially. The most common types of such activity are household services and repairs, women's handicrafts - making sweaters, scarves, gloves, children's clothing, underwear; as well as homestead farming, raising domestic animals and birds (chickens, pigeons, rabbits, etc.). Social activity associated with the performance of public duties - a juror, a public guardian, a court trustee, a member of a house committee, a board member in some public organization, etc. This does not, however, provide material benefits, but many old people experience moral satisfaction from fulfilling these duties. Research has shown a strong connection between these people's sense of satisfaction with life and their activity in the role of a social activist, which for many of them had prestigious significance. Voluntarily accepted public work, in addition, seemed to compensate for previous professional activities.

Intrafamily activity in the form of supervision and care for children and the sick, as well as housework; it is mainly women who undertake it. The scope of family guardianship activities on a state scale is enormous and many times exceeds what state and public guardianship organizations are able to provide. And although the guardianship efforts of older women often exceed their strength, they undertake them voluntarily, with the conviction that it is necessary and it gives them moral satisfaction.

An old man who realizes that his activity is a kind of “elixir of youth”, which has a positive effect on his psychophysical form ( appearance, behavior, etc.), willingly works on himself in this area: he cares about acquiring activity skills, experience in this type of activity, and constantly updating his interests. As long as such vigorous activity continues, youth in old age continues. When a tendency to stop trying to revive and maintain one’s activities begins to appear in a person’s life, this means that he has reached the threshold of true old age - senile regression, psychophysical outcome.

The role of a healthy lifestyle in the prevention of aging. Social gerontology allows solving a wide range of problems of social protection of older people. However, the ultimate goal of all efforts is to protect their health and life. Without understanding this goal, social workers cannot always properly organize their work with pensioners. They must clearly understand that the basis of any social program should be health concerns, i.e. hygiene recommendations - the science of health, ways to preserve and improve it, and a healthy lifestyle.

Every aspect of social gerontology concerns and promotes health. Whether it’s caring about timely pension provision, prosthetics, food delivery, heating, improving the environment, quality of life, installing a telephone, restoring broken ties between a person under his care and his family or society, eliminating bad habits, etc. - all this directly or indirectly revolves around the physical or mental health of an elderly person, his mood and will to live.

So, health is a state of sufficiently broad functional capabilities of the body necessary to neutralize the influence of harmful environmental factors. Moreover, functional capabilities are considered as physiological reserves, the volume of which can be reduced depending on age, the presence of diseases and the degree of their training.

The following motives may underlie the formation of a healthy lifestyle:

1. Self-preservation - a person does not perform certain actions, since they threaten his health and life.

2. Submission to the rules of culture and life - a person obeys the rules

culture and life in order to be an equal member of the society in which he lives.

3. Gaining satisfaction from self-improvement - the feeling of health brings joy to a person, so he does everything to experience this feeling.

According to modern ideas, the concept of a healthy lifestyle for an elderly person includes the following components: positive emotions, balanced nutrition, optimal motor mode, hardening, personal hygiene, giving up harmful addictions (smoking, alcohol abuse).

Old age is sometimes called the “age of social loss.” The statement is not without foundation: old age as the final period of life is characterized by age-related changes in the human body, changes in its functional capabilities and, accordingly, needs, role in the family and society, which is often not painless for the person himself and his social environment. The specific social problems of older people are mainly related to two main aspects of their lives: the aging process and retirement. The first aspect causes problems related to health, and the second - economic ones, related to material well-being and employment. One of the most serious psychological problems of older people is loneliness.

With age, a gradual decrease in the physiological parameters of vital activity occurs in the human body, along with this, the adaptive capabilities of the body decrease. You can select a row age-related changes of the human body, causing limitation of its vital activity. Let's divide them according to the principle of limiting physical and mental activity.

Among the factors limiting physical activity is atherosclerosis, which causes a decrease in the permeability and elasticity of blood vessels, which is manifested by impaired circulation of various organs and systems. The most unfavorable manifestations are associated with atherosclerosis of the blood vessels of the heart and brain. The contractility of the heart muscle decreases, cardiac output weakens, and the heart is no longer able to cope with the load that it handled in young and mature age. Physical activity and psycho-emotional stress, which did not cause any disturbances or even discomfort before, in old age can lead to heart pain (angina) and even myocardial infarction. The shortness of breath that troubles old people is most often also a manifestation of heart failure. This forces old people to slow down the pace of life, limit physical activity, reduce physical activity, and avoid conflict situations. Age-related changes in the musculoskeletal system, manifested by a decrease in muscle tone, the appearance of stiffness in the joints caused by a decrease in the elasticity of the ligamentous apparatus and the deposition of calcium salts in articular cartilage, also lead to a limitation of physical activity.

A decrease in mental activity in old age can be associated with manifestations of cerebral atherosclerosis - weakened memory, slowed mental reactions. Older people experience difficulties in communicating and obtaining new information due to age-related changes in the senses - decreased visual and hearing acuity. Along with age-related changes of a biological nature, personality changes in old and senile age also play a role in limiting mental activity.

Under the conditions of economic reforms in Russia, there has been a significant change in the social status of older people. The decline in the level of the economy and inflation have dramatically affected the pension provision of older people in our country. The size of pensions is far from corresponding to the minimum subsistence level of a Russian; old people barely have enough money to buy food and pay for utilities, not to mention medical care. In an unstable state going through a period of transition, it is most difficult for an elderly person to adapt who wants to spend the rest of his days in peace. Along with poverty, the social status of older people is affected by the problem of unemployment. In today's market conditions, it can be difficult for even a young and educated person to find a job, not to mention pensioners, who, at best, get the job of a watchman, cleaner or janitor.

The employment rates of pensioners have a clear downward trend: for example, in the late 80s, employment accounted for up to 33% of old-age pensioners, then decreased by 2010. to 21.5%, amounting to 12% in 2014. In the structure of the total employed population of the Russian Federation, the number of working pensioners aged 60-72 years decreased from 5% in 2013. to 3.3% in 2014. The identified trend means a serious deterioration in the opportunities for pensioners to continue working and increase their real incomes.

Narrowing of social contacts of older people. The break from work, in addition to the deterioration of material well-being, in some cases negatively affects the vitality, psyche, and health of older people. Retirement is a fairly serious stressful situation that must be accepted and overcome, and a way of adapting to it must be developed.

Having stopped working, an elderly person, one way or another, narrows the circle of his social contacts. Most retirees stop communicating with work colleagues, communication with whom could take place both at work and during leisure time together. At the same time, the retiree suddenly has a lot of free time that needs to be filled with something. Therefore, due to the inability to adapt to this sudden “freedom”, an elderly person often has a feeling of “emptiness” after retirement. This is especially true for those people whose work activity was highly valued, for former managers, for workaholics who are concentrated only on work and “cannot rest.” People of retirement age who live alone, or those who have not been able to realize themselves in family relationships, do not feel a sense of family closeness with family members, try to stay in the same job as long as possible, despite acquiring the right to an old-age pension. Work becomes a kind of “habit” of such a person; he cannot even imagine life outside of work. It is good if such an employee, despite his advanced age, remains active and performs his professional duties efficiently, but otherwise the employer will take all possible measures to get rid of him. Be that as it may, at a certain point in life, an elderly person is forced to stop working and find employment in other areas of life: family, leisure, hobbies, creativity, etc.

The problem of relationships in the family arises due to the different range of interests, values, beliefs of parents and children, contradictions that occurred earlier and worsened with age. In modern society, young people strive to live independently, apart from their parents. The so-called “empty nest” syndrome occurs when young family members leave the parental home, which can serve as additional stress for the elderly, who begin to feel abandoned and forgotten. People who have maintained affection for each other throughout their lives can realize themselves in family relationships right up to old age, showing care and attention, while at the same time not losing contact with their children and grandchildren. If even in old age the spouses have not developed a sense of mutual respect and tolerance, continuing to live in contradiction with each other, age-related changes in the psyche can play a negative role and lead to conflicts, exacerbating the feeling of alienation of older people. It is especially difficult for elderly people living alone, divorced or lost their spouse, and have lost contact with children.

Thus, a narrowing of the sphere of communication, withdrawal from active work, the “empty nest” syndrome, the loss of loved ones can cause a person to withdraw into himself, a feeling of discomfort from a confined space and create one of the most difficult psychologically difficult life situations for older people, which is loneliness .

Loneliness is understood as a socio-psychological state characterized by a lack or absence of social contacts. Sociological surveys conducted in Russia in recent years have shown that complaints about loneliness among older people occupy first place. For people over 70 years old, this figure reaches 99-100%, while in the total number of old people the proportion of lonely people is small - 6.2%.

Homelessness in old age. In connection with the economic crisis in Russian society, the problems of vagrancy and homelessness have become relevant. Instability in the relations of the newly formed states after the collapse of the USSR, interethnic conflicts, and apartment fraud sharply increased the number of people without a fixed place of residence (homeless people). Among persons who do not have a specific place of residence and occupation, there are also elderly people who, for various reasons, fall into this category. Depending on social reasons, the following groups can be distinguished among elderly homeless people:

Victims of natural disasters;

Victims of fraud;

Refugees and internally displaced persons;

Persons suffering from alcoholism

Those released from prison;

Mentally ill patients with memory disorders.

Most homeless people are single men. About 10% of homeless people are women. Basically, these are women suffering from chronic alcoholism. Among homeless women, about 20% are those who have returned from prison.

Homeless people require a special approach. It is very difficult to work with them, because in most cases these are people who have sunk to the “bottom”. A social worker is required to have strong communication skills. You need to be able to find contact with such people, without humiliating or pushing them away, to give them the opportunity to feel humane treatment, not to offend, by offering basic services: overnight accommodation, food, medical care.

2.1 Social adaptation of older people in the OGBU home for the elderly and disabled

Studying the features of the process of social adaptation of elderly people in a stationary institution of the OGBU Boarding House for the Elderly and Disabled.

On the social adaptation of older people and the organization of leisure.

Work to study the specifics of adaptation of older people to the conditions of a boarding home institution was carried out on the basis of the Zavolzhsky nursing home.

The study involved: 23 elderly people (in excess of 6 elderly people in 1 year at the institution).

The goal is experienced research work was to determine the level of adaptation of older people.

Identifying the specifics of organizing leisure activities in a gerontological institution and its impact on the degree of adaptation.

Conversation with specialists in “adaptation” in an inpatient gerontological institution for older people.

A change in the social status of a person in old age, caused, first of all, by the cessation or limitation of work activity, changes in value guidelines, the way of life itself, the emergence of difficulties in social, everyday, psychological adaptation to new conditions, requires the development of special approaches, forms and methods of social work with elderly people in gerontological hospitals. The work of the institution is structured in such a way as to comprehensively solve the problems of the elderly people who come here and provide effective assistance to our served people. For these purposes, the center provides social, medical, psychological, and labor rehabilitation.

The employees of the Zavolzhsky Nursing Home are tasked with the following tasks:

Organization of such conditions upon admission of citizens to an institution that would, to the maximum extent, smooth out the stressful situation associated with a citizen’s change of place of residence, familiar social environment, or meeting with the unknown;

Organization of the process of adaptation of clients to living conditions in the institution;

Psychological rehabilitation and organization of psychological assistance;

Social rehabilitation of clients in homes for the elderly and disabled, restoration of social status and reintegration of the client into society;

Organization of socio-cultural work with the aim of involving citizens living in a home for the elderly and disabled in active creative activities, identifying and stimulating inclinations and talents, filling leisure time, facilitating adaptation through cultural events, filling clients’ lives with meaning;

Organization of the occupational therapy process using the residual capabilities of clients to raise the level of self-worth, realize their capabilities, and improve their health through feasible voluntary work;

Organization of the information environment for the institution’s clients;

Working with relatives.

Individual work with an elderly person begins from the first minutes of his stay in the institution. At the first stage, the main task is the client’s social adaptation to the living conditions in the gerontological center, since admission to an inpatient facility entails a change in the usual lifestyle and is a critical moment in the life of older people.

Employees of the social rehabilitation institution, according to the developed algorithm for the social adaptation of boarding home clients, begin individual work to adapt the client to living conditions. For each citizen, a “Questionnaire for Admission to the Center” is filled out, for which the characterological characteristics of the elderly person, his inclinations and interests, attitudes and habits are identified, and the reasons for admission to the gerontological center are clarified. Based on the analysis of the data obtained, an individual adaptation plan is drawn up, and recommendations are drawn up for Center specialists on involvement in various types of activities.

From the first day of stay in the institution, the psychologist begins individual work with the client: relieves negative emotional experiences, provides assistance in the formation of a new life stereotype, and develops an individual psychological map. Based on the results of the study, he gives recommendations for placing an elderly person in the department.

At the second stage, the person being served is transferred to one of the departments of the center for permanent residence. The department is determined taking into account the state of health and the need for constant outside assistance - this is either an active longevity department or a mercy department.

The active aging department accommodates older people who have retained the ability to self-care. The objectives of this department are: to create the most comfortable living conditions for clients, close to home; social activation; psychological rehabilitation; adaptation and social rehabilitation, timely diagnosis of pathological processes; prevention of exacerbations of chronic diseases; ensuring dynamic monitoring of clients’ health status; organization of qualified constant supervision; medical rehabilitation; training in self- and mutual assistance; sanitary educational work; popularization of a healthy lifestyle and balanced nutrition; physical activation.

The main task at this stage is to organize employment for the Center's clients. The purpose of organizing employment is to restore, revitalize, and stimulate social activity, which helps saturate life with meaningful content and prolong life itself. Experts recommend movement therapy, employment, and gym classes to clients. physical therapy, visiting hobby groups and clubs, excursion trips. Within a month, a social rehabilitation map for the client is developed.

A month after admission, the elderly person fills out a form - “1 month of residence”. Analysis of the data obtained allows us to assess the success of the client’s social adaptation process, make the necessary adjustments and develop recommendations for the institution’s employees for further work with the client.

At the third stage of residence (six months after admission), a questionnaire is filled out - “6 months of residence at the Center.” At that time important environmental therapy acquires, which includes maintaining a favorable psychological microclimate, maintaining the possible level of activity of older people, and preventing painful reactions. These goals are achieved by organizing comfortable living conditions, employment, and meaningful leisure.

After 1 year of living in the Center (fourth stage), the final form is filled out - “1 year of living in the Center”. Based on the results of the individual social adaptation program, an analysis of the effectiveness of the measures taken is made.

Based on the responses of the employees, we determined that traditionally the formation of an active lifestyle for residents of the gerontological center "Radnik" is implemented in the medical, health, psychological and cultural areas of activity. The Rodnik Gerontological Center carries out its activities to promote an active lifestyle in all of these areas.

Therapeutic and recreational activities include a morning complex of physical therapy. Moreover, exercise therapy classes are held to music. Herbal medicine is carried out after sleep: every day for afternoon tea we offer herbal tea from medicinal herbs prepared by the elderly themselves. After a day's rest in the hall of the Rodnik gerontological center, the doctor turns on the Chizhevsky lamp. Residents willingly gather in the hall. At the same time, they are offered either watching television programs, or a conversation with a doctor about a healthy lifestyle, or reading and discussing what they have read from newspapers and magazines. Before dinner, those who wish (under the supervision of the younger nurse, and according to a doctor’s indications) can exercise on a treadmill and exercise bike. Elderly people take daily walks in winter and summer.

Elderly people who are willing and have no contraindications to a doctor are happy to help at community clean-ups by cleaning the area, stacking firewood in woodpiles, and clearing paths of snow.

The cultural work carried out at the Oktyabrsky Gerontological Center is very extensive. There is a library, newspapers and magazines are subscribed to, and residents use a color TV and VCR. Exhibitions, competitions and festive concerts are held. Competitions “Come on, grannies!” are held annually. and the game "Field of Miracles". Decades of elderly people, disabled people, celebrations of anniversaries, as well as public holidays are held.

The formation of an active lifestyle for older people is carried out in a hospital through psychological correction, medical support and the development of amateur activity.

Programs for concerts, evenings, excursions. The topics of these events reflect the wide range of diverse interests of older people:

Holidays - Victory Day, Defenders of the Fatherland Day, International Women's Day, Eighth of March, Tatiana's Day, International Day of Older Persons, birthday days, religious holidays, Maslenitsa, New Year's and Christmas "lights". Every year, Harvest Day is celebrated at the end of October - beginning of November. Such meetings are held in the form competitive game program. The hall is decorated with dry leaves (the leaves are prepared in advance, folded and dried by the residents). Residents of the boarding home and veterans of home care, staff and social workers take part in the concert program at such an evening. After the concert program - tea with pies.

Organizes exhibitions of applied art: birch bark products, cross stitch.

To improve leisure activities in the hospital, such leisure forms as trips to nature are used. Elderly people there pick mushrooms, berries, medicinal herbs and simply relax, breathe in phytoncides, and enjoy the beauty of northern nature.

Lecture and educational thematic activities are offered to residents in the form of conversations and lectures. Throughout the month, conversations from the “People's Calendar” series are held. At such conversations, riddles are asked, and older people share their memories and observations about nature and weather. They tell and listen about folk signs, customs, and holidays.

A boarding house is the social environment in which elderly people live for many years. The state of physical and mental health depends not only on medical care and service environment, but also on cultural events aimed at improving health and raising morale.

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Prerequisites and ways of developing social protection for older people. The genesis of attitudes towards older people in society. Old age as a social problem. Social protection system for older people. Basic approaches to solving social problems of older people.

Features of socio-psychological adaptation of older people

The process of socio-psychological adaptation in old age depends both on personal qualities and on the social situation of development and the type of leading activity

The central characteristic of the social situation of development in old age is associated with a change in social position, with retirement and removal from active participation in productive labor. The limited and negative nature of the “cultural standards” of old age that exist in society and the uncertainty of social expectations regarding an elderly person in the family do not allow us to consider the social situation of an elderly person’s life as a full-fledged development situation. When retiring, a person is faced with the need for an important, difficult and absolutely independent choice in deciding the question: “How to be old?” The active, creative approach of the person himself to his own aging comes to the fore. Transforming the social situation of life into a developmental situation is currently an individual personal task for each elderly person (25; 103).

Preparation for retirement, considered as developing readiness for a change in social position, is a necessary moment of mental development in old age, as a focus on schooling at the age of five or six, or as career guidance, professional self-determination in youth.

The solution to the universal human problem of “living/experiencing old age” and choosing an aging strategy is not considered narrowly, as a kind of one-time action; it is a process extended, perhaps over years, associated with overcoming several personal crises. On the threshold of old age, a person decides for himself the question: should he try to maintain old ones, as well as create new social connections, or move on to living in the circle of interests of loved ones and his own problems, i.e. move on to life as a whole individual. This choice determines one or another adaptation strategy - preserving oneself as an individual and preserving oneself as an individual. In accordance with this choice and, accordingly, the adaptation strategy, the leading activity in old age can be aimed either at preserving a person’s personality (maintaining and developing his social connections), or at isolating, individualizing and “surviving” him as an individual against the background of the gradual decline of psychophysiological functions . Both types of aging obey the laws of adaptation, but provide different quality of life and even its duration (12; 189).

The “closed loop” adaptation strategy is manifested in a general decrease in interests and claims to the outside world, egocentrism, decreased emotional control, a desire to hide, a feeling of inferiority, irritability, which over time gives way to indifference to others. Approximately this model of aging is spoken of when describing “passive aging,” behavior similar to “egoistic stagnation,” and loss of social interest. The alternative is to maintain and develop diverse connections with society. In this case, the leading activity in old age may be the structuring and transfer of life experience.

Options for age-appropriate types of socially significant activities may include continuing professional activities, writing memoirs, teaching and mentoring, raising grandchildren, students, and social activities.

Preserving oneself as an individual presupposes the ability to work hard, have diverse interests, try to be needed by loved ones, and feel “involved in life.”

A.G. Leaders believes that the special “inner work” of accepting one’s life path, of rethinking one’s experiences in the conditions of the impossibility of real significant changes in one’s life performs the function of leading activity in old age (14; 131).

Among a number of factors that determine the social and psychological status of an elderly person, the degree of his adaptation is occupied by the factor of physical health and physical activity, the value of which is higher the older one is.

Physical ill-being is an important reason for dissatisfaction with life in old age. Frequent consequences of this are impoverishment of feelings, callousness, progressive loss of interest in the environment, changes in relationships with loved ones, and a decrease in all types of self-esteem. However, the attitude towards one's own aging is an active element of mental life in old age. Moments of awareness of the fact of physical and mental age-related changes, recognition of the naturalness of feelings of physical ill health constitute a new level of self-awareness. An elderly person’s tolerance or intolerance to limited physical strength and capabilities, to physical weakness with painful sensations reflects their attitude towards their own aging.

The strategy of active coping with difficulties reveals a conscious attitude towards age-related changes that continue to emerge over the years. This new position largely depends on the person himself. For example, this could be an ironic look at oneself as an old man, a playful agreement with the loss of previous physical capabilities, with painful sensations. L. Seneca in his “Moral Letters to Lucilius” (letter XXX) writes about his contemporary historian, a follower of Epicurus - A. Bass: “He is exhausted in the fight against old age, it oppresses him too much for him to rise. But our Bass is cheerful in spirit This is what philosophy gives: cheerfulness, despite the approach of death, courage and joy, despite the state of the body, strength, despite weakness, a good helmsman sails with tattered sails, and even when the tackle is torn, he adapts what is left and sails. further" (Quoted from: 11; 152).

Good physical health, moderate general age-related changes, longevity, maintaining an active lifestyle, high social status, the presence of a spouse and children, and material wealth are not a guarantee or guarantee of understanding old age as a favorable period of life. And in the presence of these signs, each individually and taken together, an elderly person may consider himself defective and completely not accept his aging. N.F. Shakhmatov, in his analysis of aging, sought to show the inextricable connection between the biological and psychological aspects of aging. He insisted that favorable forms of mental aging are characterized by a harmonious decline in physical and mental functions (with qualitative preservation of their functioning), which is accompanied by agreement with oneself, with the natural course of events, including the inevitability of the end of one’s own life. Shakhmatov’s description of the motivational-need sphere and life position of older people who considered their aging successful, successful, favorable and even happy deserves attention:

a clear orientation of these older people towards the present. These people do not show any projection on the past, but there are also no stable plans for an active life for the future. Today's senile existence is accepted without any reservations and without plans to change for the better;

a tendency to revise past active goals, rules and beliefs, which first appeared in late life. Such mental work leads to the development of a new, contemplative, calm and self-sufficient life position. The surrounding life, the current state of health, physical ailments, and everyday life are perceived tolerantly, as they are;

the emergence of new interests that were not previously characteristic of this person. Among them, especially notable are the appeal to nature, the inclination to write poetry, the desire to selflessly be useful to others, especially the sick and weak, sometimes for the first time a love for animals appears;

sustainable mental work, reflecting the desire to rethink one’s past life experiences, past activities from the perspective of an old person. Past successes in the accumulation of knowledge, honorary positions and titles lose their past attractiveness and seem of little significance. The strength and sincerity of family and kinship relationships seem to be of little importance. Material values ​​acquired during life also turn out to be insignificant. However, the entire structure of today's attitudes of these elderly favorably highlights the present period of their life. Examples of a positive attitude towards life in old age can be seen in a number of self-descriptions of aging by famous and outstanding personalities (Cicero, I.P. Pavlov, K.I. Chukovsky, etc.). K.I. Chukovsky wrote in his diary: “I never knew that it was so joyful to be an old man, that not a day later my thoughts were kinder and brighter” (11; 163).

Several longitudinal studies suggest that important aspects of personality remain unchanged across the transition from middle to late adulthood. Constancy refers, for example, to such personality characteristics as the level of neuroticism (anxiety, depression, impulsivity), the ratio of extraversion and introversion, and the level of openness to experience. According to a number of authors, in old age a new life position is rarely developed. Rather, it is a sharpening and modification of an existing life position under the influence of new circumstances. The personality of the old man still remains itself. In an empirical study by American psychologists, retired or part-time men were examined. Five main types of personality traits have been identified that determine one or another version of socio-psychological adaptation or maladaptation (12; 185 - 186). 1. Constructive type - characterized by internal balance, a positive emotional attitude, criticism of oneself and tolerance of others. An optimistic attitude towards life persists after the end of professional activity. The self-esteem of this group of elderly and old people is quite high; they make plans for the future and count on the help of others.

2. Dependent type - also socially acceptable and well adapted. It is expressed in subordination to a marital partner or child, in the absence of high life and professional claims. Emotional balance is maintained through inclusion in the family environment and hope for outside help.

3. Defensive type - characterized by exaggerated emotional restraint, some straightforwardness in actions and habits, the desire for “self-sufficiency,” and reluctant acceptance of help from other people. The motto of people with a defensive attitude towards advancing old age is activity even “through force.” Regarded as a neurotic type.

4. Aggressive-accusatory type. People with this set of traits strive to “shift” blame and responsibility for their own failures onto other people, are explosive and suspicious. They do not accept their old age, drive away the thought of retirement, think with despair about the progressive loss of strength and death, and are hostile to young people and to the whole “new, alien world.” Their idea of ​​themselves and the world were classified as inadequate.

5. Self-accusatory type - passivity, resignation in accepting difficulties, a tendency to depression and fatalism, and lack of initiative are revealed. A feeling of loneliness, abandonment, a pessimistic assessment of life in general, when death is perceived as deliverance from an unhappy existence.

I.S. Kohn uses the direction of activity as a criterion for identifying socio-psychological types of old age. Positive, psychologically successful types of old age (4; 93):

1) continuation of social life after retirement, active and creative attitude;

2) organization of one’s own life - material well-being, hobbies, entertainment, self-education; good social and psychological adjustment;

3) applying strength in the family for the benefit of its other members; more often these are women. There is no blues or boredom, but life satisfaction is lower than in the first two groups;

4) the meaning of life is associated with improving health; more typical for men. This type of organization of life activity gives a certain moral satisfaction, but is sometimes accompanied by increased anxiety and suspiciousness regarding health.

Negative types of development:

1) aggressive grumblers,

2) disappointed in themselves and in their own lives, lonely and sad losers, deeply unhappy.

Analyzing the specifics of emotional experiences in old age, M.V. Ermolaeva comes to the conclusion that the phenomenon of assessing the quality and meaning of life at this age stage is complex and insufficiently studied (4; 99). It is possible that the factors that determine satisfaction with life in old age and successful socio-psychological adaptation are different from the factors that determine dissatisfaction with it. The emotional experience of life satisfaction in old age is associated with older people’s assessment of the meaning of their lives for others, with the presence of a life goal and a time perspective connecting their present, past and future. Dissatisfaction with life as a total experience is associated with an assessment of external and internal living conditions and consists of preoccupation with one’s deteriorating health, appearance, lack of material resources, the current lack of physical and moral support, and actual isolation. Together with life wisdom, the central psychological new formation of old age is the ability to live in the deeper layers of the soul, but this is only a possibility, the implementation of which depends on the person.

Thus, various kinds of changes in a person as an individual that occur in old age are aimed at updating the potential, reserve capabilities accumulated in the body during the period of growth and maturity.

Further changes during the period of gerontogenesis and the success of socio-psychological adaptation depend both on the social situation in which the elderly person finds himself, and on the degree of maturity of a particular person as an individual and subject of activity. There is numerous data on the preservation of high vitality and performance of a person not only in old age, but also in old age. Many factors play a large positive role in this: level of education, occupation, personality maturity, etc. Of particular importance is the creative activity of the individual as a factor opposing the involution of the person as a whole.

Conclusions to Chapter 1

1. Socio-psychological adaptability is a state of relationship between an individual and a group when a person, without long-term external and internal conflicts, productively carries out his leading activities, satisfies his basic sociogenic needs, and fully meets the role expectations that the reference group places on him, experiences states of self-affirmation and free expression of their creative abilities. Adaptation is the socio-psychological process that, when progressing favorably, leads a person to a state of adaptation.

2. Older people are special group, which is extremely heterogeneous in psychological characteristics. The solution of age-related development problems by this group of people largely depends on the level of their socio-psychological adaptation.

3. The success of socio-psychological adaptation in old age depends both on the social situation in which the elderly person finds himself, and on the degree of maturity of a particular person as an individual and subject of activity. There is numerous data on the preservation of high vitality and performance of a person not only in old age, but also in old age. Many factors play a large positive role in this: level of education, occupation, personality maturity, etc.