LONELINESS AND LIVING-CONDITIONS OF THE OLDEST-OLD

This paper describes 211 of the oldest old, 90 years or older, in a br oad perspective based upon well-being, living conditions and the livin g situation during a period of two and a half years. The subjects were interviewed, and at the first contact four out of five old persons we re living in their own homes, 66% regarded themselves as healthy and t hree out of five depended on help for primary ADL. Approximately one o f two experienced loneliness, the same proportion in each age group 90 , 91 etc. Slight relations were found between experienced loneliness a nd age and subjective health. Slight relations were also found between subjective health and cognitive impairments. During the follow-up per iod 43% of the old people had died, and all were being cared for in in stitutions in their final stage of life.