Qualité de vie en établissements médico-sociaux selon les cadres et les résidents

Do residential institutions for the elderly provide their residents with a satisfactory living context? This cross-sectional descriptive study assessed satisfaction among residents and managers at medical-social institutions in Fribourg. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 43 residents, along with an on-line survey of 52 managers. The questions targeted 27 aspects of the quality of life in medical-social institutions, covering healthcare, independence, activities and the environment. Overall, managers and residents assessed the 27 points as being important and very satisfactory. Managers, however, appear to underestimate importance and overestimate the degree of satisfaction of the residents on certain points such as contacts with loved ones and other residents, or being able to engage in stimulating activities, which suggests a potential for improvement that managers do not appear to be totally aware of.