THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF INSTITUTIONAL LIFE FOR ELDER PEOPLE THE CASE OF KIBRE AREGAWUYAN MIGBARE SENAY DIRIJIT IN ADDIS ABABA

Abstract

Elderly people are the most vulnerable members of the society whose mental and physical deteriorations pose a great challenge to their well-being. Though there are fragmented researches about elderly people, there is little study assessing the institutional life of elderly people. Hence, this research attempted to study the lived experience of the elder people in institution. To fulfill the objective this study used qualitative design, with phenomenology approach. Using purposive sampling 10 elders who are living in the institution and 10 care givers who are giving care and support of elders were selected and took part in the study. Interview and document analysis were the major instruments of data collection. The finding organized into four thematic area: like pre institutional life experience, institutional life experience, opportunities and challenges of institutional life and coping mechanisms used during institutional life of elders. The finding indicated that the elders pre-institutional life experience was Lost their family member, their children have not interested to care and support them, physically enabled to generate income for survival, they could not fulfilled their basic need because of their economic status, they did not get quality health treatment, ignored by the society and feel loneness, hopelessness, live on streets and when the elders entered in institution they get different services like Shelter/bed rooms/, food, counseling service, health care service, hygiene facilities, assisted caring , clothing and funeral service. It is concluded that though institutional life improves the wellbeing of the elderly people, community care and support arrangement is the preferred setting for the elderly people. Hence volunteers or concerned bodies, the government and the social worker have the responsibility to facilitate conducive environment of elder in the community arrangement