Effect of Progressive Muscle Relaxation on Adaptation to Old Age and Quality of Life Among Older People in a Nursing Home: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Today, changes and developments in technology and lifestyles have lengthened average life span and increased the elderly population. The physical and cognitive changes, health problems, new roles such asbeing retired or widowed and economic losses come one after anotherfor the elderly, and this turns the old age into a period full of difficul-ties. The difficulties experienced in this period introduce problems re-lated to the adaptation of the elderly to old age. The union of the problems arising due to old age decreases the self-respect and life satisfaction of the elderly individual, and consequently, the quality of life can be negatively affected.

Adaptation is defined as the harmony built by an individual between his own needs and the expectations of the people around.It is important for people to adapt to ever-changing life events sothat they can lead happy lives.The first condition of a healthy and problem-free old age is to accept and adapt to old age.Therefore, the purposes of nursing care cover ensuring an individual's adaptation toold age and its changes, which is the last development phase of life.

Nurses can positively change people's adaptation to old age by applying simple andeconomic non-pharmacological methods that are easy to apply. The non-pharmacological methods used in this study for older people'sw included progressive muscle relaxation exercise. It is stated in the literature that progressive relaxation exercise increases the quality of life and satisfaction of elderly individuals. However, there was no study thatassessed the effect of progressive muscle relaxation exercise on adaptation to old age.