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En studie om äldre personers upplevelse av att separera från sin partner på grund av att han eller hon blir beviljad ett särskilt boende.
Elderly couples have a right to live together. On June 1st 2006 the Swedish government extended couples? rights, granting special consideration to elderly partners to enable them to receive care in the same home. But what happens if only one of them is eligible for care? This paper has studied how elderly couples were affected in situations where one partner was unable to continue living at home, and what measures could be taken to improve their situation. The study focused on the user?s perspective and the gender perspective of grief when separating. It was based on a qualitative method through six qualitative, semi-structured interviews. The interviewees were between the ages of 72 and 88 with relationships lasting between 63 and 72 years, with one to ten years of living apart while their partner received care. The paper looked at five recent studies in the field and used the crisis and development theory of Johan Cullberg as well as Steinar Ekvik?s theory of male and female grief as its theoretical framework. The results showed that all interviewees were deeply moved by the departure of their partner, and that the separation induced feelings of loneliness and guilt, but also a sense of relief. The study also showed that several of the interviewees lacked professional emotional support when separating. The expression of grief differed between men and women, which could be attributed to the expectations inherent in gender roles. All the interviewees expressed a wish to one day move back in with their partner, with some interviewees helped by a more active social life, good connections to friends and family, andthe hope of one day resuming life with their spouse.