配偶者を在宅で介護する高齢者の老いを生きる体験

抄録・要旨

The aim of the study is to identify the perceived experiences of living to advanced age of elderly persons who provide care to their spouse at home. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for eight elderly individuals who were providing care to their spouses at home with the outcome qualitatively and descriptively analyzed. The core of their experiences were summarized as “intimacy of a couple”, “swaying future prospects and life adjustment”, “support by people and services”, and “integration of value and belief ”. Through providing care to the spouses, the elderly caregivers were gaining self-esteem, living their advanced ages with uncertain and varied prospects for the future, supported by their offspring, neighbors, and peer groups. By providing care to the spouse based on their long-term marital relationship, the caregivers found the meaning of care in their life, lived today looking towards their own aging and death. The study suggested that the elderly caregivers adjusted their everyday lives to the immediacy with their spouse, at the same time gained a deeper philosophy of life through provision of care at home.