A Phenomenological Analysis of the Life Experiences of Elderly Individuals

Abstract

This study aims at making sense of the life experiences of elderly individuals over 65 years living in Samsun in three dimensions: family, education, and social life. To achieve that aim, the study was designed with phenomenology, one of the qualitative research methods. The participants constitute 15 elderly individuals, determined with the snowball sampling technique. For the analysis, content analysis was performed through the MAXQDA data analysis program. Three themes emerged: family life, education life, and social life. Based on these themes, it was revealed that the family was an essential support for elderly individuals that made them happy or sad in their life course. Also, the other social interactions made elderly individuals satisfied; they did not feel lonely in this way. In those ages, they had different hobbies like gardening or religious activities. These gave them peace. Besides, they gained importance to education, and some had some regrets about their education process. These regrets arose from problems like low-income levels, family issues, and wrong choices.