| dc.description.abstract | This research study is an exploration regarding the concept of successful aging and what
it means to older individuals whose voices have commonly been disregarded in research o f this
nature. Data were collected from a sample of ten individuals ranging in age from sixty-six to
ninety-five years old. With the goal of including the perceptions of those who have been
excluded from previous research, the participants comprising the sample all resided in a long
term care facility in northwestern Ontario, and all had a low socioeconomic status.
In-depth interviews, following a semi-structured interview guide were conducted with
each participant in order to gain their views concerning the concept. Each interview was tape-recorded
and later fully transcribed. The data gathered was analyzed following an interpretive
approach, and was reduced through a series of thematic coding.
This research study contributes to the understanding that there is much to be learned from
listening to those with lived experience. The findings indicate that according to the accounts of
those interviewed, successful aging involves several components which are extremely
interconnected. Specifically, the highly interrelated core themes to emerge were: having a sense
of personal happiness; mental stimulation; acceptance; and adjustment. Participants also
uncovered various facilitating factors which were felt to aid in contributing to the core themes
identified, and in turn, to successful aging. In addition to the findings that emerged thematically
from the data, an important element regarding the concept surfaced. Ultimately, the significance
of personal perspectives was revealed as it was highlighted that successful aging is a personal
matter which resides within each individual, and therefore can only ever be subjectively defined. | |
