Phenomenological Explanation of Challenges of the Elderly in Kashan City

Old age is a sensitive period of life, characterized by a wide range of physiological and psychological changes that cause the loss of some states, including cognitive weakness, gradual deterioration of the body, memory and social function. The elderly in this period are facing many challenges, the identification of which can be of great help in the preparation of support and rehabilitation programs. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to explain the phenomenological challenges of the elderly living in Kashan, Iran. The research population included the elderly over 62 years old living in Kashan city. The sampling method was purposeful, during which 14 aged people were interviewed and the sampling was saturated. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed by the seven-step Claesian method. The result indicated two main themes and 14 Sub-themes. The main themes were‌‌‌‌ (1) individual challenges and‌‌‌‌ (2) social challenges. Sub-themes included (1) concerns about physical health and diseases, (2) feelings of loneliness, (3)  concerns about children's future, (4) support for children, (5) lack of support for children, (6) mental and emotional problems, (7) maintaining authority and respect, (8) positive hope, (9) negative hope, (10) disability, (11) receiving support from social institutions and providing welfare for the elderly, (12) economic problems, (13) positive attitude towards the nursing home and (14) negative attitude towards the nursing home. According to the results, it was found that it is necessary to deal with the problems and challenges of the elderly, and therefore, providing supportive, educational and health services for the elderly can reduce their problems.
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