Elisa Van Wiele, Hannah Thys, Jessie Dezutter, Stefanie Meul, Kaat Wils, Tinne Claes, Veerle Foulon, Bernadette Dierckx de Casterlé
{"title":"\"I'm fed up with life\": the lived experience of tiredness of life among nursing home residents.","authors":"Elisa Van Wiele, Hannah Thys, Jessie Dezutter, Stefanie Meul, Kaat Wils, Tinne Claes, Veerle Foulon, Bernadette Dierckx de Casterlé","doi":"10.1093/geront/gnaf161","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>Tiredness of life (ToL) in older adults is a phenomenon that is causing increasing social concern, with health care professionals reporting challenges in caring for those who are experiencing it. Nursing home residents, in particular, may be especially vulnerable to ToL. However, there is currently no scientific understanding of what ToL entails and how exactly nursing home residents experience this phenomenon. This study therefore aims to unravel the experience of ToL among nursing home residents.</p><p><strong>Research design and methods: </strong>This study employed a grounded theory design where 26 semistructured in-depth interviews with nursing home residents were collected. Data were analyzed iteratively using the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven (QUAGOL).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The experience of ToL among nursing home residents is characterized by an interacting combination of several experiences of suffering: A disconnection from life, which manifests as a loss of drive and/or death wishes, is closely linked to a threatened sense of self, characterized by four types of loss: a loss of mattering, a loss of social connection, a loss of agency, and a loss of hope for the future.</p><p><strong>Discussion and implications: </strong>Our findings provide a deeper understanding of the ToL experience among nursing home residents. ToL appears to be a dynamic, complex, and layered phenomenon. Fostering a valued sense of self could guide care strategies for residents experiencing ToL. Further research is essential to unpack the specific dynamics underlying this experience.</p>","PeriodicalId":51347,"journal":{"name":"Gerontologist","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2000,"publicationDate":"2025-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Gerontologist","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaf161","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"GERONTOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background and objectives: Tiredness of life (ToL) in older adults is a phenomenon that is causing increasing social concern, with health care professionals reporting challenges in caring for those who are experiencing it. Nursing home residents, in particular, may be especially vulnerable to ToL. However, there is currently no scientific understanding of what ToL entails and how exactly nursing home residents experience this phenomenon. This study therefore aims to unravel the experience of ToL among nursing home residents.
Research design and methods: This study employed a grounded theory design where 26 semistructured in-depth interviews with nursing home residents were collected. Data were analyzed iteratively using the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven (QUAGOL).
Results: The experience of ToL among nursing home residents is characterized by an interacting combination of several experiences of suffering: A disconnection from life, which manifests as a loss of drive and/or death wishes, is closely linked to a threatened sense of self, characterized by four types of loss: a loss of mattering, a loss of social connection, a loss of agency, and a loss of hope for the future.
Discussion and implications: Our findings provide a deeper understanding of the ToL experience among nursing home residents. ToL appears to be a dynamic, complex, and layered phenomenon. Fostering a valued sense of self could guide care strategies for residents experiencing ToL. Further research is essential to unpack the specific dynamics underlying this experience.
期刊介绍：
The Gerontologist, published since 1961, is a bimonthly journal of The Gerontological Society of America that provides a multidisciplinary perspective on human aging by publishing research and analysis on applied social issues. It informs the broad community of disciplines and professions involved in understanding the aging process and providing care to older people. Articles should include a conceptual framework and testable hypotheses. Implications for policy or practice should be highlighted. The Gerontologist publishes quantitative and qualitative research and encourages manuscript submissions of various types including: research articles, intervention research, review articles, measurement articles, forums, and brief reports. Book and media reviews, International Spotlights, and award-winning lectures are commissioned by the editors.
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号
