Perception of nursing homes as accomodation units

The aim of this study is to determine how nursing homes are perceived as accomodation units by the age of 60 and above elderly people living at home and whether there is a relationship between these people's perceptions and their gender, their income, the cities they live and the people they live with. Research area includes Sinop, Kastamonu and Çankırı cities located in the TR82 region in Turkey. Research data were collected through face to face questionnaires from 400 elderly people aged 60 and over residing in the TR82 region. The data were analyzed by frequency analysis and the chi-square (X2) test. According to the results of research; 99% of the participants has not experienced living in a nursing home and 96% of participants is not thinking of living in nursing homes in next years. 80% of the participants will consider living in a nursing home not to be a burden to their relatives and 89% of participants stated that if their children encourage them, the probability of living in a nursing home increases. A nursing home is perceived as reassuring units besides; the feel of abandonment, not to be a burden to anyone, a place for the lonely and poor old, reducing future anxiety for the old, a place helpless people prefer to stay, a result of loneliness in a sense, that might be a solution to some problems. According to chi-square (x2) test results it has been determined that although there is no relationship between perception of nursing homes and gender and income, there is a statistically significant relationship between some phrases related to perception of nursing homes and inhabited city and people the old live with.