Feeling existentially touched - A phenomenological notion of the well-being of elderly living in special housing accommodation from the perspective of care professionals

• Published in: International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 1 - 8
• Main Authors: Lundin, Anette, Berg, Lars-Erik, Muhli, Ulla Hellström
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 01.01.2013; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Co-Action Publishing; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Caregivers - psychology; elderly care; Empirical Research; Empirical Study; Existentialism; existentially touched; Full text; Housing; Housing for the Elderly; Humaniora-samhällsvetenskap; Humanities and Social sciences; Humans; Interviews as Topic; lifeworld; lived experience; Older people; Personal Satisfaction; Phenomenology; Psychologists; Qualitative research; Quality of life; Self sufficiency; Studies; Well-being; Sweden; phenomenology; existentially touched; Well-being; lifeworld; elderly care; lived experience
• ISSN: 1748-2631; 1748-2623; 1748-2631
• DOI: 10.3402/qhw.v8i0.20587

This article presents a phenomenological analysis of interview material, in which 12 care professionals in elderly care reflect on the elderly's well-being within the frame of special housing accommodation. The perspective of the care professionals is of special interest. The findings show that the well-being is characterized as the elderly's feelings of being existentially touched. The well-being is an existential experience of being acknowledged as a human being and is an approach that classifies the elderly's needs as those of having, loving, and being. The meaning of the phenomenon is elucidated by the constituents: (1) to feel the freedom of choice, (2) to feel pleasure, and (3) to feel closeness to someone or something. The findings contribute new understanding of well-being in the elderly care by its existential dimension of the well-being as "just being" and of doing things in order to experience meaningfulness. Accordingly, the well-being of the elderly as it is seen from the perspective of the care professionals involves both carers' subjectivity and intersubjectivity between the care professional and the elderly. An implication for promoting elderly's well-being is to develop awareness of these existential dimensions.