Senior Citizens’ Existential Needs and Education for the Meaning of Life
Senior Citizens’ Existential Needs and Education for the Meaning of Life

Summary/Abstract: A contemporary man is embroiled in perpetual change. Living in the world in which it is more and more difficult to find permanence and constancy frequently evokes anxiety and confusion about the world and one’s own life. It is hard to find lasting values and set long- and short-term goals, which is connected with the fact that people stop perceiving their life and activity as a value, as something with the meaning and sense. They stop thinking about what is significant and meaningful and about their direction – apart from material goods, which gain in importance. However, possessing things does not make people happy because they lack the ‚essence’ necessary for achieving the climax of humanity, the meaning of life which is focoused an individual’s activity and essential attribute of his full developement. Meaning of life is made present not only in action but also in relationships with other people, God and oneself. It is very important to consider the role of meaning of life in education to old age. Education concerning meaning of life may help people function better in their everyday life, act more effectively and meet their needs. In this paper, it was presented the research about existential needs of 200 elderly people with using some standardized questionnaire “Unmet psychosocial and spiritual needs of elderly”. The final conclusions indicate the value of the religious, spiritual and social needs of the respondents.

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