The family metaphor provides cultural scripts that enable staff to overcome barriers to the expression of grief. The family metaphor structures the meaning for staff of death and bereavement, and it provides a bridge between their work and personal experience.
This article is based on ethnographic research that explored experiences of suffering in late life. From a group of 60 oldest-old (age 80 and above) male participants, four were primary, at-home caregivers for wives with dementia. Men's narratives showed the inter-relation between masculinities, a sense of personal control, and experiences of suffering within caregiving. Three thematic “tools” of control emerged as strategies men used to mediate their suffering: 1) the power of the little; 2) preserving self-identity and marriage-identity and, 3) finding purpose in the role of caregiver. We offer insight into the world of the oldest-old male caregiver through men's accounts of suffering, their daily tasks, thoughts about themselves as caregivers, and the manner in which they embody their masculinity in caregiving.
On the basis of this research, it appears that, although they have some similarities, elders' experiences of suffering are unique and incomparable. Similarities concern informants' connection of suffering with finitude. The incomparability of suffering experiences relate to informants' unique personal histories, perceptions, and "cause" of suffering. Through the process of the interview, elders connect the suffering experience to the entirety of the life lived and the story of suffering to the life story.
Objectives. This article focuses on the lived experience of depression in 20 elderly African American women.Methods. Data on depression emerged from research that qualitatively explored experiences of depression, sadness, and suffering in 120 community-dwelling persons aged 80 and older, stratified by gender, ethnicity, and self-reported health.Results. We placed women's narratives under three general themes: Depression was (a) linked with diminishment of personal strength, (b) related to sadness and suffering, and (c) preventable or resolvable through personal responsibility. Brief accounts illustrate how themes emerged in women's discussion of depression.Discussion. African American women created a language for depression that was rooted in their personal and cultural history and presented in vivid vignettes through their life stories. Their belief systems and the language they used to describe depression are integral aspects of the lived experience of depression.
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