“I Live Quite a Good Balanced Life”: A Pilot Study on the Life Experiences of Ageing Individuals Living with HIV

Abstract

An ageing population is accompanied by an increased number of older adults living with HIV. So far, our knowledge regarding the life experiences of older adults living with HIV is still poor and under researched. The purpose of this study is to present new knowledge by interviewing nine Finnish HIV-positive individuals of 50 years of age and older. The data were analysed by inductive content analysis. Living with HIV is shaped by unique personal life experiences. These experiences played an important role on how the interviewees assessed their lives and their future as HIV positive individuals. Most of the participants reacted negatively to their HIV-positive diagnosis. However, throughout time they had found meaning in their lives and had developed a degree of positive attitude towards life and future which was articulated in terms of a good overall balanced life. Since caring is the tenor of the nursing profession, nurses should be able to identify and implement methods for assessing how successfully older adults living with HIV age and intervene in an informed way whenever needed.

What influences quality of life in older people living with HIV?

“…These results were comparable to those of Owen and Catalan [ 5 ] and Ribeiro Nobre and colleagues [ 6 ], whose participants, all older people living with HIV, reported finding meaning in life and having a positive attitude towards the future. In contrast, in a study comparing younger and older people living with HIV and using the same QoL instrument used in our study, Monteiro and colleagues [ 21 ] found older people living with HIV to have lower QoL in a number of domains (physical, level of independence, and social relationships), as well as more depressive symptoms.…”

“…Although the individual impact of getting older with HIV can be positive e.g. [ 5 , 6 ], the problems faced by older people with HIV include high levels of stigma [ 7 – 10 ]; concerns about dependence on benefits [ 11 ], ongoing concerns about disclosure [ 12 ], and uncertainty over how ageing, HIV, and its treatment affect health [ 13 ]. Gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and social supports play an important role in how older people living with HIV adapt [ 5 , 14 – 18 ].…”

‘I'm happy in my life now, I'm a positive person’: approaches to successful ageing in older adults living with HIV in Ontario, Canada

“…In a study of younger and older adults without HIV infection, Gooding et al (2012) found older adults living in the United Kingdom showed increased resilience in areas of emotional regulation and problem solving over their younger counterparts. In a small sample of older adults living with HIV in Finland, Nobre, Kylmä and Kirsi (2012) found an increase in positive attitudes concerning their life over time. Finally, Emlet et al (2015) found older adults experienced less HIV stigma than their younger counterparts, most notable in internalised stigma, suggesting age as a potential protective factor.…”