Ensamhetsupplevelsen hos äldre personer - en begreppsanalys
Background: Loneliness is an ordinary but complex concept which exist of several dimensions. Loneliness can mean and create suffering for the individual but there is sometimes a need to be alone and some individuals who live alone can experience a communion with the existence itself.Aim: To clarify the concept loneliness and its complexity with focus on the experience of loneliness in elderly individuals.Method: Walker and Avants (2005) model for concept analysisResults: The defining attributes the analysis resulted in that the experience of loneliness in elderly individual's is: a subjective and unique experience; positive or negative and ranges in intensity; strongly connected to communion and social relationships with other individuals; connected to loss and miss of one or several elements as meaningful interactions, communion, physical abilities, work, respect, health and quality of life. The attributes were also closely connected to their antecedents and consequences. To clarify the concept further was a model case, a borderline case and a contrary case created. The empirical referents are presented in the discussion.Conclusion: Through clarifying the core of the concept with focus on elderly individual's experience of loneliness is the hope that this concept analysis can support nursing staff to search for understanding for the elderly individual's experience of loneliness and pay attention to its complexity.