An exploration of meaning in the lives of elderly women

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the phenomenon of meaning in the lives of community dwelling elderly women. Having a sense of meaning in one's life is important as it contributes to well-being, health and successful aging. These elderly women also demonstrated that aging is a time of continued growth and development. In this study, six elderly women were interviewed to allow them to describe what is meaningful in their lives. The interview centered around one question, "Is there something or things so important to you in your life that they give your life meaning?" The interviews were transcribed and subjected to the phenomenological method of analysis as developed by Colaizzi (1978). The final procedural step of data analysis involved integrating the results into an exhaustive description of the phenomenon of meaning. From this study, five themes emerged which captured the areas of meaning in the lives of these elderly women. Meaning was defined and redefined throughout their lives through the interconnectedness of relationships, outlook, interests, independence and health. Discussion of the findings included reviewing the similarities and differences in how young-old women (ages 65-79) and old-old women (over the age of 80) described meaning in their lives. The five themes that emerged from the data were common to both cohorts. Implications for social work and considerations for future research are discussed.

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