Being old and living alone in urban areas: the meaning of self-care and health on the perception of life situation and identity

Abstract

BackgroundLiving alone in urban areas when getting old is an important and necessary field for research as the growth of the urban population worldwide increases, and due to the fact that people live longer. How older people manage their self-care and health, and how this might influence their identity and life situation may be very important to understand when planning for a new, upcoming older generation. The aim of this study was to elucidate the meaning of self-care and health for the perception of life situation and identity among single-living older individuals in urban areas in southern Norway.MethodsA phenomenological–hermeneutic approach inspired by Ricoeur was applied. Nine single-living older persons in urban areas, 70–82 years of age, and identified to be in good health were interviewed. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a phenomenological–hermeneutic method.ResultsStrength and a time dimension characterized the meaning of self-care and health for the perception of life situation and identity as narrated by the group of single-living older individuals in urban areas in southern Norway. The informants were, as older individuals, caring, autonomous, and robust characters, who had gone through difficult times in life, and in a resilient way moved towards a new future. They valued and were grateful for what they had learned in their lives and could go forward and still experience and explore.ConclusionSelf-care is significant in the perception of life situation and identity among single urban older people in this study, and characterized by strength, temporality, gratitude, autonomy, and natality. Society needs to acknowledge the strengths and capabilities of older people to a greater extent.

Self-care telephone talks as a health-promotion intervention in urban home-living persons 75+ years of age: a randomized controlled study

“…The model consists of self-care telephone talk sessions, and was slightly modified and implemented with the purpose of enhancing self-care in an intervention group. The design of the intervention was grounded in the results of the aforementioned three self-care studies 3,4,12…”

“…The themes were: 1) self-care habits, eating habits and nutrition, and physical activity, 2) health promotion, identity, and self-esteem, 3) roles and relationships, 4) communication, and 5) building meaning 26. These five themes were all grounded in the previous research on self-care that emphasized findings of importance: frequency in physical activity,3 eating habits and nutrition,54,55 taking part in supportive, inclusive, and promoting fellowships,3,56 being grateful for friends and family, and life situation, the situation of looking back, remembering earlier days, being grateful and appreciating the day, being forward-looking and being in change, planning for the future, as well as being generous and independent 12…”

“…Studies on self-care show a health decline in people older than 75 years 4,5. Results from these studies, combined with ongoing research on population aging internationally,6–8 as well as political discussions on future health policy for older people,9–11 highlight the necessity to develop an intervention that promotes self-care in older people that enables them to live their lives in their own homes as long as possible 3,4,12. In a Norwegian context, however, there were no such studies found that encompass the aim of this study.…”

“…However, some experiences in life can hardly be covered in an instrument. Mental health in old age might be influenced by life changes or losses of former roles, such as being a husband or wife or being gainfully employed, as well as physical or mental changes that occur as people age 3,12…”

The experiences of self-care in community-dwelling older people: A meta-synthesis

“…But after I had been convinced, I do not regret that I joined them because we have a very nice time" (Soderhamn 1998, p. 750). Besides the family and close friends, the extended social network is also relevant for them: the elders report to participate in associations, trade unions or religious and recreational organizations, in order to have the opportunity to meet people with similar interests (Sundsli et al, 2013b;Wang et al, 2001;Dale et al, 2012) and feel connected to their society. The elderly can also take care of others.…”