The Meaning of Being an Elder in Nepal

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive research study was to explore the meaning of being an elder in Nepal. The nurse researcher, accompanied by an interpreter, travelled to six villages east and west of Kathmandu Valley to speak with 25 individuals about their experiences in later life. Questions structured within Parse's theoretical perspective guided discussions to uncover older persons' views of aging, their relationships with others, and the changes and hopes of daily life. Findings revealed that the meaning of being an elder in Nepal is "cherishing necessities for survival intermingles with the rapture of celebration with important others, as diminishing familiar patterns expand moments of respite, while regard from others affirms self, and changing customs create comfort-discomfort as what-was unfolds into new possibles." Findings were congruent with Parse's theoretical concepts of valuing, enabling-limiting, and transforming. This study supported Parse's theory as a valuable guide for human inquiry and expanded the body of nursing knowledge on aging. Specific guidelines for practice and research are proposed.

Keywords

Nepal Parse's Theory

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Cowgill, D.D. (1986). Aging around the world. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Deep, D.K. (1982). The Nepal festivals (2nd ed.). Kathmandu, Nepal: Ratna Pustak Bhandar.

Gadow, S.A. (1986). Frailty and strength: The dialectic of aging. In T.R. Cole and S.A. Gadow (Eds.), What does it mean to grow old? Reflections from the humanities. (pp. 235-243). Durham, NC: Duke University Press.

Goldstein, M.C. , & Beall, C.M. (1981). Modemization and aging in the third and fourth world: Views from the rural hinterland in Nepal. Human Organization, 40, 48-54.

Mitchell, G.J. (1990). The lived experience of taking life day-by-day in later life: Research guided by Parse's emergent method. Nursing Science Quarterly, 3, 29-36.

The old in a new world: Preliminary program . (1989, June). World Congress on Gerontology: The XIV Meeting of the International Association of Gerontology. Acapulco, Mexico.

Parse, R.R. (1981). Man-living-health: A theory of nursing. New York: Wiley.

Parse, R.R. (1987). Nursing science: Major paradigms, theories and critiques. Philadelphia: Saunders.

Parse, R. R. , Coyne, A.B. , & Smith, M.J. (1985). Nursing research: Qualitative methods. Bowie, MD: Brady.

10.

Thorne, S. , Griffin, C. , & Adlersberg, M. (1986). How's your health? Well seniors' perceptions of their health and well-being. Gerontion, 1(5), 15-182.

11.

Wondolowski, C. , & Davis, D. K. (1988). The lived experience of aging in the oldest-old: A phenomenological study. The American Journal of Psychoanalysis, 48(3), 261-270.