As they are living it: Access to meaning and purpose for the oldest old
Rationale/Conceptual Basis/Background: Because national and global epidemiological data indicate more aged persons are living longer, in-depth exploration of aging among the oldest old is vital. The oldest-old season of life involves increased, varied, and cumulative changes. Change and loss inherently stimulate a search to re-create or conserve meaning and purpose. Knowing how the oldest old experience and access meaning and purpose provides nurses with increased perceptiveness and ability to care for these vulnerable and frail persons.
Methods: As one aspect of a larger hermeneutic phenomenology study on the experience of aging, the question of what brings purpose and meaning in life was posed to 13 participants aged 87-100 years. Participants included men (5) and women (8), blacks (2), Hispanics (3), and whites (8). All spoke English, lived independently, and were without cognitive impairment. Purposive sampling ensured that all would portray distinct aging experiences. Three in-depth semi-structured interviews with direct observation were conducted in the home of each participant focusing on life history, daily life, and current experiences of aging. Interview prompts included questions such as “What is it like to be __ (exact age)?”, “Can you tell me an instance when it felt good (or bad) to be your age?”, “What gets you out of bed each morning?”, and the direct question of “What provides purpose in your life?” All text was transcribed verbatim and analyzed using phenomenological approaches to content analysis and interpretation. Field notes and researcher reflection, thoughts, and observations contributed to the collected data.
Results: Findings reveal meaning and purpose that are unique to the individual and shared by others with common life experience. While some may access meaning and purpose in their days by doing what they have always done, most have moved to a time of less participation and more observation, seeking meaning in memories of their past, and vicarious purpose through others. Examples are grown children who are successful, or grandchildren who have inherited the wanderlust. People do not age in isolation; when former sources of meaning have faded away, meaningfulness and purpose are often found in relationship with the lives of others.
Implications: This portrayal of possibilities for accessing purpose and meaning during very late human life not only enriches gerontological theory, and nursing knowledge but also offers insights about nursing care practices. These caring practices can support the creation of meaning and purpose for the oldest old, in their final years.