Home and family situations, satisfaction with life, employment and health status, and availability and use of health care services all have an impact on quality of life. A recent study conducted in five countries (Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, and the USA) of 900 elderly people in each country living at home disclosed the following informa¬tion.
Many older persons live alone. The percentage is highest in Germany at 46%, followed by 40% in Canada, 34% in Britain, and 31% in the USA. In these four countries, 70% of elderly persons reported visiting or being visited by a family member within the previous week. In Ja¬pan, most older persons live with their families; only 10% live alone. Interestingly, in Japan, adult children often live in their parents’ home rather than vice versa. In all five countries, most of the elderly have close-knit families, and > 80% have children who are still alive.