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The importance of successful place integration for perceived health in very old age: a qualitative meta-synthesis

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Objective

The aim of this study was to increase our understanding of the multifaceted phenomenon of home and health, by exploring processes underlying these dynamics when living at home in very old age.

Method

A qualitative meta-synthesis was used on four complementary qualitative studies, based on data from the Swedish ENABLE-AGE In-depth Study, focusing on very old, single-living people’s experiences of home in relation to participation, independence and health (N = 40).

Results

Over time, very old people manage increased frailty by means of three intertwined processes concerning changes in everyday life: The turning points, The struggle and The negotiations. The findings show that these processes take place through the context of the Homelike functional home and a state of mind labelled, The awareness of frailty.

Conclusion

The results can be useful in constructing and implementing guidelines for more holistic approaches to housing provision for senior citizens. Further, the study delivers a deeper understanding about how very old people live their lives, useful for practitioners as well as it contributes to theory development within the context of ageing and environments.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Swedish Research Council and the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research and was accomplished within the context of the Centre for Ageing and Supportive Environments (CASE), Lund University, Sweden.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, P.O. Box 157, S-221 00, Lund, Sweden

    Maria Haak, Agneta Malmgren Fänge & Susanne Iwarsson

  2. Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Synneve Dahlin-Ivanoff

Authors
  1. Maria Haak
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  2. Agneta Malmgren Fänge
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  3. Susanne Iwarsson
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  4. Synneve Dahlin-Ivanoff
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria Haak.

Additional information

This paper belongs to the special issue “Housing for health promotion”.

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Haak, M., Malmgren Fänge, A., Iwarsson, S. et al. The importance of successful place integration for perceived health in very old age: a qualitative meta-synthesis. Int J Public Health 56, 589–595 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-011-0282-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-011-0282-4

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