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Views of Family Members Who Take Care of an Elderly Person they Live with on Ageism, Spirituality and Death in Turkey: A Qualitative Approach

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Abstract

This descriptive qualitative research examined the views of people caring for an elderly family member on ageism, spirituality, and death. A total of 12 people who lived in the same house as the elderly person they cared for made up the study sample. Data were collected via face-to-face, in-depth interviews using a structured interview format. The content analysis method was used for the data analysis. The analysis of the study data yielded three themes: the definition of ageism, the meaning of spirituality and its effects on care, and the position of death in life. The results indicated that living with and caring for an elderly individual made the lives of the family members providing care meaningful, spirituality was important in the care of elderly individuals, and caregivers could be considered at risk in terms of the burden of care. It is recommended that health professionals support caregivers sharing the same house with an elderly family member through training programs on the burden of care, spiritual care, and death.

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  1. Department of Mental Health and Diseases Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, Turkey

    Mehtap Kızılkaya

  2. Aydın Adnan Menderes University Research and Application Hospital, Aydın, Turkey

    Mahsun Atuğ

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Ethical endorsement was obtained for this study from the Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Nursing, Noninvasive Ethics Committee (ethical number: E.417; date: 3.01.2020). All research procedures were performed as per the ethical standards of the university ethics committee.

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Kızılkaya, M., Atuğ, M. Views of Family Members Who Take Care of an Elderly Person they Live with on Ageism, Spirituality and Death in Turkey: A Qualitative Approach. J Relig Health 62, 3095–3109 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-023-01837-0

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