Elderly people and their quality of life – challenges for geography

Abstract

The article raises the issue of the quality of life of elderly people. It focuses on the significance of the phenomenon and possible routes for approaching it within the framework of social geography. The importance of the problem of the quality of life of the elderly is not only a result of demographic conditions related to the increase in the size of this group, but it is also related to the scope of care over elderly people. When describing the quality of life of the elderly, one must refer to four basic categories: (social) communication, health, autonomy and utilisation of institutional services. Studies into the quality of life of the elderly conducted by various scientists help expand the knowledge on this subject and approach these matters from different angles depending on the specific character of each study related to a different area of science. The authors of the study emphasise the role of social geography in this area, not only for explaining the spatial aspects of the phenomenon of the quality of life of elderly people.