Caregiving Experience of Elderly Participating in the Project of Elderly Care

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study was to understand the caregiving experience of elderly participating in the project of elderly care by elderly. Methods Data accrued from November 2019 to April 2020 through individual in-depth interviews with eight elderly service providers who have worked at the general senior welfare center from 2 to 6 years. Transcribed data were analyzed using the Colaizzi’s phenomenological six-step method. Results Four categories emerged in this study: opportunity to serve two ends of the project of elderly care by elderly; the weight of difficult care for elderly; relationship sublimated to more than care; and the harmony of life with old age maturity. Conclusion Based on the participants' elderly care experience, efforts are necessary to develop and implement effective strategies for improving workforce allocation, management, education, and awareness of elderly care by elderly. In addition, this study suggests increasing the working capacity of elderly care and the system for elderly care in the community. Furthermore, this study offers important evidence for managing elderly care workers and establishing educational infrastructure. 주요어: ë ¸ì¸, ëŒë´„ì œê³µìž, ì§ˆì ì—°êµ¬ Key Words: Aged, Caregivers, Qualitative research