Life satisfaction and death anxiety in elderly nursing home and public housing residents.

To compare life satisfaction and death anxiety in older adults, 30 elderly residents of a public housing apartment complex and 20 nursing home residents completed the Death Anxiety Scale, the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale, and a structured interview. Nursing home residents more frequently reported that in five years they expected to be dead, whereas public housing residents more frequently reported that in five years they would be doing about the same thing or nothing. The two groups did not differ on their reported death anxiety or life satisfaction. However, across both groups, those reporting higher life satisfaction also reported lower death anxiety and a more positive attitude toward growing older. It appears that, for the elderly individuals in this study, place of residence was not related to their expression of life satisfaction or death anxiety.