La autonomía como indicador de calidad de vida en el adulto mayor

Abstract

Autonomy refers to a person's ability to make decisions and act according to his or her own values, desires and purposes; this ability is very relevant in older adults because it contributes to their quality of life. The study used a mixed approach with a concurrent cross-sectional design, since this allowed the collection of deeper and more detailed information on the experiences of older adults. In addition, an epistemological approach that takes into account positive psychology was used to promote positive emotions and foster mental health in the selected cases. Therefore, the objective of the case analysis was to determine the relationship of autonomy as an indicator of quality of life in the elderly. A convenience sample of five participants over 65 years of age from the Barbones parish was used. The instruments applied were the semi-structured interview, which provided a clearer perspective on the subjects' perception of autonomy, and the WHOQOL-OLD test, which made it possible to determine the level of quality of life in each of its dimensions. For its application, first of all, the informed consent was presented with the purpose of notifying the participants that the data collected will be for academic purposes, refraining from any harm to their integrity, after their acceptance, the process continued. After collecting the data, we continued with the categorization, where we obtained: a) Autonomy as an indicator of quality of life in older adults; b) Indicators of autonomy in older adults; c) Indicators that intervene in the quality of life of older adults. Based on the above, it was found that the participants with a high score in quality of life were those who mentioned having greater autonomy, through the ability to make decisions in their daily lives, in their respect for their freedom, in their control over present activities and in their ability to perform pleasant tasks. In terms of sensory capacity, an unfavorable view and a slight dissatisfaction with community participation were observed; in contrast, autonomy, satisfaction with personal achievements, the ability to cultivate deep and intimate relationships and the assimilation of death as a natural part of the life process were reported. It is concluded that the autonomy experienced in daily life contributes to the quality of life of the older adult, especially with the support of their loved ones to decide and live according to their wishes. In addition, it is highlighted that having control over rewarding activities and living consciously in the present are key factors. On the other hand, control over future activities is positively linked to spirituality. In general, high scores were observed in almost all dimensions of quality of life, with the areas of "Death and Dying" and "Autonomy" standing out for their positive influence on overall well-being.