A CASE STUDY ON LOSSES FROM THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF A NON-NATIVE OLDER ADULT LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES

¹Tennessee State University, Physical Therapy, Nashville, United States

Background: Older adults experience losses as a part of the aging process. These losses may come suddenly or progressively, and may affect the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions of the person.

Purpose: To identify the losses associated with growing old based on the lived experience of an older adult; determine the sequence of losses which have occurred; and correlate the findings with research literature.

Methods: The researcher randomly selected an older adult from a list identified through snowball sampling. Taped interviews were conducted and transcribed on two occasions. The first focused on the subject´s life from age 65, the losses during this period, and the impact of these losses. The second focused on the validation of interview notes gathered the previous interview. These notes were subsequently analyzed for emergent themes and correlated with research literature.

Results: The subject swas a 75 year-old female who immigrated to the United States. At the time of the interview, the subject was a widow who lived on her own in a condominium owned by her son who lives five miles away. Although the subject has three sons, the other two were outside the country; only the local son is proximally closest to her. During the interview, the subject described the context by which she immigrated to the United States. In this regard, the subject discussed the opportunity to travel back and forth from the Philippines to the United States along with her husband who was living at the time. The subsequent loss of her husband during the months-long immigration process along with the absence of children secondary to leaving the next solidified her desire to immigrate to the United States. Presently, the subject´s declining health has limited her ability to be independent outside her condominium; she relies on her son and grandchildren to help her with shopping and tidying her house. The subject has limited social interaction as a result of her limited circles as an immigrant. Despite these limitations, however, the subject is quick to state that her situation has made her stronger spiritually. The results of this study highlights the losses the subject not only experienced but was also validated in research literature, including: the loss of a spouse through death; the loss of children through maturity and independence; the loss of function through declining health and functional capacity; and the loss of social interaction from being homebound.

Conclusion(s): The reality of loss is evident in the older adult. Losses have an impact on the older adult physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. This study identified a number of losses experienced by a non-native older adult living in the United States. These losses are validated experientially by the patient and pragmatically by research literature.

Implications: Physical therapists need to be cognizant of losses experienced by older adult patients. Often, therapists often see these patients because of physical impairments and functional declines. However, losses other than physical may also affect therapy and should be addressed appropriately.

Funding acknowledgements: None

Topic: Older people

Ethics approval: This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of Tennessee State University.

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