A Comparison of the Factors Influencing the Life Satisfaction of the Elderly According to their Cognitive Impairment Level

Purpose: This study was conducted to analyze the factors that influence the life satisfaction of the elderly according to their cognitive impairment level. Methods: This study was conducted by dividing 3,012 elderly residents of a regional community into three groups based on the scores of the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination: a normal group without any cognitive impairment, a suspicious group with a mild level of cognitive impairment, and a high risk group with a high level of cognitive impairment. Researchers made phone calls, house calls, and personal visits to health centers and shelters for the elderly to gather the information required for this study. Results: The results of this study revealed that social relationships, depression, and activities of daily living had a significant impact on life satisfaction for the normal group, while social relationships and depression had a high impact on life satisfaction for the suspicious group, and social relationships had high impact on the life satisfaction of the high risk group. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, we suggest that programs that promote development of the social relationship networks of the elderly should be established to promote their life satisfaction.