title: Sense of meaning in life among the oldest old people living in a rural area in northern Sweden.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Having meaning in life is important for all people, and according to Erikson's developmental theory, this is especially true for older adults. However, there are few studies about meaning in life focusing on the oldest old.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to illuminate the sense of meaning in life in the oldest old living in northern Sweden.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study has a qualitative explorative and interpretative design.
  
  
  METHODS
  We interviewed three men and seven women between 85 and 95 years old and analysed the interviews using qualitative content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our findings revealed the following four themes: 'Creating space for living', 'Living in connection with others and nature', 'Seeing oneself as a link between generations' and 'Having trust in God'.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The sense of meaning in life in the oldest old was linked to regarding oneself as having a mission to carry out and to finding beauty, joy and happiness in life. The sense of meaning involved transferring to coming generations what earlier generations had left and having a deeply rooted faith in being taken care of from birth to the afterlife.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When caring for the oldest old, it is important to take their experiences of sense of meaning in life into consideration and to focus on ways to maintain important sources of meaning in life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jonsén
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.|Palliative Research Centre, Ersta Sköndal University College, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Norberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Berit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lundman
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D033262:Narration; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012424:Rural Population; D012649:Self Concept; D012650:Self Disclosure; D013548:Sweden
keywords: ageing; care of older people; older people; older people nursing; qualitative methods