中原, 美穂

NAKAHARA, Miho

[SUMMARY] This study aimed to explore the aging experiences of older men living alone with chronic diseases. We conducted semi-structured interviews with six men aged <75 years, who live alone and use the services of visiting nurses. The data were analyzed following interpretive phenomenology. Our results showed that the participants were facing challenges, and five themes, alongside one holistic theme, were identified. The five themes were: (a) disease awareness and reviewing diet due to difficulties in performing daily life tasks, (b) identifying my body’s potential ability to face physical challenges, (c) finding ways to spend free time after retirement and allowing myself not to work, (d) accepting support from others to perform daily life activities, and (e) wishing to be myself despite the inconvenience of changes to daily living. The holistic theme was: While forced to experience difficulties in daily life due to the change in my physical status, I am aware of my disease and potential ability. Thus, I invariably live as myself in an inconvenient daily lifestyle by utilizing my strength and support from others. We observed that the participants were positively aware of their aging process with their unchanging personality, i.e., IKIGAI (a reason for being), through their diverse social relationships. However, one participant had difficulty connecting with people due to his disease. In conclusion, we suggest that visiting nurses should enrich the aging experiences of men with chronic diseases through understanding social interactions related to IKIGAI, and by serving as a link between the elderly and the community.