Need Satisfaction of Older Persons Living in the Community and in Institutions, Part 2. Role of Activity

A descriptive study was conducted in order to examine the types of need satisfaction older persons gained from activities they performed in their living environments. This is the second of two articles that examines the relationships among need satisfaction, environment, and activity. Subjects included 20 community and 21 institutionalized older persons. It was found that the subjects’ most important activities were visiting and being involved in church functions. Using Maslow’s need hierarchy as the theoretical framework, both of these activities were found to be associated with satisfying belongingness/love needs. The implications the findings have for occupational therapy intervention with older persons are included.