Centre for Policy on Ageing



Life at 85 and 92: a qualitative longitudinal study of how the oldest old experience and adjust to the increasing uncertainty of existence
Author(s)	Margareta Ågren
Journal title	International Journal of Aging and Human Development, vol 47, no 2, 1998
Pages	pp 105-117
Keywords	Adjustment ; Engagement ; Octogenarians ; Nonagenarians ; Longitudinal surveys ; Sweden.
Annotation	This Swedish qualitative longitudinal study investigated how life was experienced by the participants at the ages of 85 years and by those who survived to become 92 years seven years later. In-depth interviews were conducted and seven patterns of adjustment emerged from the analysis at the age of 85 ranging from self realisation to withdrawal. This heterogeneity remained at the age of 92 but the increased physical decline and the shortened time perspective that all participants now experienced had somewhat changed the characteristics of the categories. These challenges also led to greater use of cognitive strategies of adjustment at 92, such as taking one day at the time, substitution, losing interest in that which one could not do any longer, and an increase of the dialectical balancing of good and bad life events to reach a synthesis one could accept. (AKM).
Accession Number	CPA-981110410 A
Classmark	DR: DN: BBM: BBR: 3J: 76P
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.