A Survey of the Attitude of the Citizens of Isfahan Towards the Elderly Care Centers

The age structure of the Iranian population is moving towards aging, and the percentage of loneliness of the elderly is high and their percentage of residence in elderly care centers is very low. The aim of this study was to investigate the attitude of people in the community to the elderly care centers in Isfahan by survey method. Using multi-stage sampling method, 384 citizens aged 20 to 60 were randomly selected and interviewed and data were analyzed using bivariate and and multivariate analysis. Attitudes toward elderly care centers were examined in three dimensions: emotional, cognitive and behavioral, and the findings showed that people have a negative attitude towards elderly care centers. Women have a more negative attitude towards these centres compared to men, especially in the emotional dimension. The presence of the elderly in the home leads to a more positive attitude and visiting the nursing home causes a more negative attitude towards these centers. The coefficient of determination of the model is 19/3% and social capital has the most important role in determining the type of attitude towards the elderly care centers. Due to the increasing number of the elderly and the increasing share of the elderly who live alone, it is necessary to develop elderly care centers and culture in order to reduce the negative attitude towards elderly care centers to provide the possibility of living in these homes for the elderly.