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How to cite this document

Sasaki A, Morita K, Yamada K, Ono M, Katsura S, Tanuma T. Community support of the elderly people of living alone who lost spouse. Rev Paraninfo Digital, 2007; 2. In: <http://www.index-f.com/para/n2/186.php> Consulted

ABSTRACT

Objectives: To identify to grasp elderly people’s physical and mental health situation and the process of the reconstructing of life after the cared spouse who was bereaved and became living alone, and to examine community support for them.
Methods: 11 elderly people living alone at home, who finished caring and lost the spouse more than six months ago. Open-ended question interview was executed the elderly people, 2007 in Japan. After the aim of the interview was explained and the elderly people's agreement was obtained, the interview was executed. The content of the interview records has chosen categories, subcategories and codes.
Results: The average age of the elderly people was 77.7±6.3 years old, and were 3 men, and 8 women. The average period after bereaved was 3 years 11 months.
The mentsl health situation was as follows: "lonely", "hard mentally",” nervous",” thinking many things at night",” no calm feeling"," and tears flowing ", etc. A process of the reconstructing was as follows: spouse would be pleased if I am cheerful ","to talk with Buddha" "to walk for health" "to take tranquilizer / sleeping medicine" and "careful about a meal", etc.
In the figure of the feeling after spouse’s death, a feeling looked up a little on after 49th, and there were the most spouses who calmed down 1 year after.
Elderly people got formal support like as community volunteers and an emergency-call system. They got informal support such as family and friend’s visit and phone.
Consideration: An informal support is important for elderly people who lost their spouse and live alone. But if those supports don’t exist, formal support like as Community Health Nurse is important for reducing isolation, grasping early stage of the change of health situation and supporting reconstruction of life.