Encountering existential loneliness among older people: perspectives of health care professionals

Sundström, Malin; Edberg, Anna‐Karin; Rämgård, Margareta; Blomqvist, Kerstin

doi:10.1080/17482631.2018.1474673

Cited by 59 publications

(79 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…China has gradually entered the old age society (Qualter, Hurley, Eccles et al, 2018). According to the China Senior Social Followup Report, at least 24.78% of the elderly in the country have a sense of loneliness and 1.40% of the elderly have a serious sense of loneliness (Sundström, Edberg, Rämgård et al, 2018). Moreover, the proportion of people who are living alone in the elderly is more than 5.12%.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential Transformation Analysis of Loneliness of the Elderly and Its Influencing Factors

2020

RACP

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The loneliness of the elderly is a hot issue due to the rising divorce rate, growing migration and rapid urbanization. Therefore, this paper aims to gain insights into the loneliness of the elderly and its influencing factors. To this end, he potential transformation analysis, an individual-based vertical analysis strategy, was adopted to analyze the level of loneliness of the elderly in China, examine the differences among the elderly in loneliness from the angles of gender, age, marital status, economic status, and cultural life, and assess the effects of personal, family and social factors on the loneliness of the elderly. The results show that the loneliness and mental health of the elderly need to be improved from multiple aspects: In the personal aspect, the elderly should enhance immunity by keeping a regular diet and doing a moderate amount of exercises; In the family aspect, the company of children and stability of family environment can effectively alleviate the loneliness of the elderly; In the social aspect, the government should assume social responsibility, improve medical services, promote mental health knowledge, and increase the welfare, such as to ease the elderly's loneliness. The research lays a theoretical basis for improving the quality of life of the elderly.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential Transformation Analysis of Loneliness of the Elderly and Its Influencing Factors

2020

RACP

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“…It is not always easy, however, for nurses to discover and be attentive to spiritual and existential concerns, as this requires both parties to be willing to share space (Minton, Isaacson, Varilek, Stadick, & O'Connell‐Persaud, ; Tornøe, Danbolt, Kvigne, & Sørlie, ). A qualitative study by Sundström et al () showed that healthcare professionals experienced different barriers in their encounters with older people's existential loneliness that were related to their own feelings of insecurity and fear, to their abilities and possibilities, and to the concerns of the older person. There are certainly other aspects and factors that hinder or facilitate professionals in addressing existential loneliness, and these may differ among care contexts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The context of care matters: Older people's existential loneliness from the perspective of healthcare professionals—A multiple case study

Sundström

Blomqvist

Edberg

et al. 2019

Int J Older People Nursing

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Aim To explore existential loneliness among older people in different healthcare contexts from the perspective of healthcare professionals. Background Professionals meet and care for older people in most care contexts and need to be prepared to address physical, psychological, social and existential needs. Addressing existential loneliness can be both challenging and meaningful for professionals and is often not prioritised in times of austerity. Design A multiple case study design was used. Methods Focus group interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals (n = 52) in home, residential, hospital and palliative care settings. The analysis was performed in two steps: firstly, a within‐case analysis of each context was conducted, followed by a cross‐case analysis. Findings Differences and similarities were observed among the care contexts, including for the origin of existential loneliness. In home care and residential care, the focus was on life, the present and the past, compared to hospital and palliative care, in which existential loneliness mainly related to the forthcoming death. The older person's home, as the place where home care or palliative care was received, helped preserve the older person's identity. In hospital and palliative care, as in institutional care, the place offered security, while in residential care, the place could make older people feel like strangers. Creating relationships was considered an important part of the professionals’ role in all four care contexts, although this had different meanings, purposes and conditions. Conclusions The context of care matters and influences how professionals view existential loneliness among older people and the opportunities they have to address existential loneliness. Implications for practice Support for professionals must be tailored to their needs, their education levels and the context of care. Professionals need training and appropriate qualifications to address existential loneliness related to existential aspects of ageing and care.

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“…However, this loneliness these older adults experience may be more than having the difficulty with expressing the feelings of loneliness or the loss of social roles or the shrinkage of one's social network, as common examined in the loneliness literature [12][13][14]. Rather, it may stem from the intolerable emptiness and lack of meaningful existence attributed to all the losses they have experienced (i.e., existential loneliness (EL)) [15][16]. Because EL has been linked to serious psychological outcomes (e.g., suicidal ideation [17]), every effort should be made to better understand EL and provide effective psychosocial support of those who experience it.…”

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confidence: 99%

Overcoming existential loneliness: a cross cultural study

Chung

Olofsson

Wong

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Moving into a long-term care facility (LTCF) can alter the way older adults see themselves and reduce their ability to engage in meaningful experiences and roles. They experience a shrinkage in their social network when they move away from home, a reduction in the frequency of their social contacts and the number of people from whom they receive emotional support. These changes and losses can lead to feelings of loneliness. However, the loneliness these older adults experience may be more than having the difficulty with expressing the feelings of loneliness or the loss of social roles, as common examined in the loneliness literature. Rather, this loneliness stemmed from the intolerable emptiness and lack of meaningful existence attributed to all the losses they have experienced (i.e., existential loneliness (EL). The aim of this qualitative study was to describe the experience of EL in older adults from Eastern and Western cultures who were living in LTCFs and how they dealt with the experience. Methods: Open interviews were conducted with 13 Chinese and 9 Swedes living in the LTCF about the experience of EL. A qualitative study using Thorne’s (2004) interpretive description (ID) was conducted and data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: The core theme “overcoming EL’ captures the participants’ experience of EL. It describes a combined process of “feeling EL” and “self-regulating”. The study affirms that EL, was triggered as a common human condition in our study when the Chinese in Hong Kong, China and Swedes in Malmo, Sweden faced with life boundaries and crisis such as losses, frailty and mortality. Conclusions: EL is a very stress-inducing human phenomenon. Our study demonstrates that EL experience affects the fundamental structure of the ‘self’ unfolded by the experience of loss of control, isolation and meaningless in life. However, being EL allows the older adults of these two ethnics groups reaping the benefits that a ‘clearer’ sense of self provides, ranging from spirit of contentment to decreased distress. Thus, early and clear counselling support addressing the searching and meaning ascribed to EL should facilitate overcoming and better coping with the experience.

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Encountering existential loneliness among older people: perspectives of health care professionals

Cited by 59 publications

References 37 publications

Potential Transformation Analysis of Loneliness of the Elderly and Its Influencing Factors

Potential Transformation Analysis of Loneliness of the Elderly and Its Influencing Factors

The context of care matters: Older people's existential loneliness from the perspective of healthcare professionals—A multiple case study

Overcoming existential loneliness: a cross cultural study

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