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ABSTRACT<br />
The elderly constitute the age group which uses health and social services the most in Iceland.<br />
Responsibility for services to the elderly is scheduled to be moved from state government to<br />
local governments in 2015. In this research the views, wishes and needs of the elderly<br />
inhabitants of Eyjafjarðarsveit municipality were examined with regard to services and<br />
housing arrangements within the municipality. The following research questions were<br />
established: 1) What are the views of elderly inhabitants of Eyjafjarðarsveit towards social<br />
services and housing arrangements within the municipality? 2) What are the wishes and needs<br />
of elderly inhabitants of Eyjafjarðarsveit regarding social services and housing arrangements<br />
within the municipality? Leisure activities, modes of transportation, housing arrangements<br />
and home help services were explored as well as how these issues encouraged or impeded<br />
inhabitant participation in daily life. The Canadian model of occupational performance<br />
(CMOP) guided the research. A quantitative research method was used. Data was gathered<br />
using a telephone survey in which all inhabitants of Eyjafjarðarsveit who had reached the age<br />
of 67 by the end of 2012 were called. The number of participants in the research was 72 (76%<br />
participation), the average age of participants was 75,5 and the gender ration was even. Just<br />
over half of the participants were members of the association of the elderly in Eyjafjörður.<br />
Private cars were the most common mode of transportation among participants, 42% of men<br />
and 29% of women drove often but significantly more women than men said they never<br />
drove. Approximately 22% of participants said they received home help services provided by<br />
the municipality and a significant majority of them got assistance with cleaning their home.<br />
Most of the inhabitants were very or rather pleased with their current housing arrangement<br />
and a majority of participants thought it was unlikely that they would move to another<br />
housing arrangement in the next years. Comparison between the research and academic<br />
literature demonstrated ideas for developing services to the elderly in Eyjafjarðarsveit.
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