MASLOW HIERARCHY OF NEEDS AND OBRA 1987 - TOWARD NEED SATISFACTION BY NURSING-HOME RESIDENTS

Human beings have needs that they strive to fulfill regardless of their psychophysical limitations. Need satisfaction by the elderly is examined along Maslow's hierarchy of needs and the requirements of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1987. Maslow (1954) theorized that need satisfaction is hierarchical, progressing from satisfying the lower level of physiological needs to those of safety, belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization. Despite the principle of relative potency of needs and the elderly's apparent lack of adjustment capabilities toward ungratified needs, OBRA implies an appropriate need mix to enable the elderly to survive adequately. Functional departments within nursing homes should therefore strive to develop effective programs aimed at improving each resident's quality of life. There are some misgivings, however, concerning how many of the higher needs are met by the residents. Need satisfaction by the elderly cannot be limited to meeting lower-level needs for food and shelter Higher-level needs are essential, and by gerontologically applying individual need components, care providers can upgrade levels of care to improve residents' well-being and ensure compliance with OBRA.