The Living Experiences of Low-income Elderly Living Alone

저소득 독거노인의 생활경험

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the living experiences of low-income elderly living alone. Method: The data were collected through more than ten times of in-depth interview with 7 participants. The research question was "what is it like to experience your daily living?" The data were analyzed by Colaizzi's phenomenological analytic method. Results: Four main meaningful themes were identified: 1) The participants blamed themselves for their past lives, 2) They also felt sorry for being a burden on other's lives, 3) They considered diseases to be a natural part of life, 4) They felt worried and hopeless about the rest of their lives. Conclusion: This study revealed the living experiences of low-income elderly living alone. Further studies are needed to determine appropriate care and treatment. The authentic caring approaches are required with caring community people. Finally, this study may provide data for better recognizing the low-income elderly's experiences of caring in the community.