The Causes of Sadness in the Elderly Resident in a Nursing Home from their Viewpoint: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background and Aim: Mood swings such as sadness and depression are very common among the disabled elderly living in nursing homes. A systematic diagnosis of depression is very rare, and treatment is not always based on the best evidence. Distinguishing between grief and non-pathological depression can be challenging, and we have little information about the elderly. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explain the causes of grief and grief from the respective of the elderly living in the nursing home. Methods: The present study is a qualitative research of hermeneutic phenomenology based on Van Mann's method. Based on the purposeful sampling method, 16 elderly people were selected from the nursing home and were answered in in-depth interviews. After receiving the code of ethics and starting the research, with the permission of the elderly, the interviews were recorded and analyzed based on Van Mann's research activities after handwriting and gaining a comprehensive understanding of them. In this study, the accuracy of qualitative findings based on the criteria of validity, verifiability, reliability, and transferability was examined. Results: From the findings of the study, three main themes and fifteen sub-themes were obtained, which included past events, current events, and future events. Conclusion: Given that the causes of grief are different in the nursing home and can include events from the past to the future, steps must be taken to identify these factors as soon as possible. In this way, managers and caregivers of nursing homes have a very special role, because most of the cause of grief mentioned in this study is related to the current situation of the elderly in nursing homes, and the managers of nursing homes should, that is. Include in your planning.