Difficulty of Life Related to Health Experienced by Elderly Korean Residents of Japan Living without or with a Low Pension

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the difficulty of life related to health experienced by elderly Korean residents of Japan who are living without or with a low pension.Method: Elderly Korean residents aged 65 or above living in a regional area participated in the study. One-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 participants, using Spradley's (1979) ethnographic interview method.Results: From the data collected through the interviews, Analysis of the interview data extracted 70 sub-categories and 8 categories. These 8 categories described the following issues: everyday struggles due to lack of money; inability to read and write as first generation immigrants; difficulties with integration into regional areas; both subjects and Japanese locals avoiding contact with each other; being unable to form human connections while realizing the importance of these connections; feeling that they have no support from their surroundings; having more than one identity; and the feeling of resignation towards society that slowly affects local activities.Conclusions: It is important for nurses to understand and support difficulties in living due to diverse cultural backgrounds and customs of older foreign residents in Japan.