%0 Journal Article
%T Feeling existentially touched ¨C A phenomenological notion of the well-being of elderly living in special housing accommodation from the perspective of care professionals
%A Anette Lundin
%A Lars-Erik Berg
%A Ulla Hellstr£¿m Muhli
%J International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well-Being
%D 2013
%I Co-Action Publishing
%R 10.3402/qhw.v8i0.20587
%X This article presents a phenomenological analysis of interview material, in which 12 care professionals in elderly care reflect on the elderly's well-being within the frame of special housing accommodation. The perspective of the care professionals is of special interest. The findings show that the well-being is characterized as the elderly's feelings of being existentially touched. The well-being is an existential experience of being acknowledged as a human being and is an approach that classifies the elderly's needs as those of having, loving, and being. The meaning of the phenomenon is elucidated by the constituents: (1) to feel the freedom of choice, (2) to feel pleasure, and (3) to feel closeness to someone or something. The findings contribute new understanding of well-being in the elderly care by its existential dimension of the well-being as ¡°just being¡± and of doing things in order to experience meaningfulness. Accordingly, the well-being of the elderly as it is seen from the perspective of the care professionals involves both carers¡¯ subjectivity and intersubjectivity between the care professional and the elderly. An implication for promoting elderly's well-being is to develop awareness of these existential dimensions.
%K Well-being
%K phenomenology
%K elderly care
%K lifeworld
%K lived experience
%K existentially touched
%U http://www.ijqhw.net/index.php/qhw/article/download/20587/26979