title: Embracing opposites: meanings of growing old as narrated by people aged 85.
abstract: Many old people suffer from prolonged and multiple bodily ailments, new diseases, and increased risk for disadvantages and losses in life. Aging also means becoming mature and wise. This study illuminates the meaning of the lived experience with respect to changes in late life. Using a phenomenological hermeneutic method, this study analyzes transcribed interviews of 15 85-year-old people. Four themes were formulated: embracing weakness and strength, embracing slowness and swiftness of time, embracing reconciliation and regret, and embracing connectedness and loneliness. From these analyses, growing old was described as--maintaining one's identity in spite of the changes that come with aging and, embracing opposites--being changed and feeling being the same.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Umeå University, Sweden. regina.santamaki.fischer@nurs.umu.se
authors.forename: Regina Santamäki
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Norberg
authors.forename: Berit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lundman
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001828:Body Image; D003858:Dependency, Psychological; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008016:Life Change Events; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D033262:Narration; D012803:Sick Role; D012933:Social Identification; D012934:Social Isolation; D029181:Spirituality