Abstract

This study focused on the understanding the life of the elderly in the institution by phenomenological method. The participants were seven who were 4 men and 3 women living in the elderly institution in Taegu. The data were collected through the indepth interviews and participant observation from June 20. 1999 to January 10. 2000 and analyzed by phenomenological analytic method by Giorgi. The structure of the meaning were as follows: Unhappy life: irresponsibility, self-centered thought hardness Irresistible life: misfortune, unhealthiness, Reading their son's intention Bitter life: unfair treatment from their sons and daughters betrayed feeling for their being thrown away. Outside oriented life: a fear of other' attention wrong information about institutionalized life maladjustment Self-consolation life: comfortableness convenience. economic merit of low cost. Dissatisfied life: discomfort from communal living unkindness of the institution staffs depreciated social security system economic distress physical pain restrained feeling. Tenacity to their sons and daughters: longingness for their sons and daughters regretableness waiting. Regretable life: remorse for their past life agony guilty loneliness grief self-abandonment. self-depreciation other residents' death in common. Inharmonious life with other residents: complaint conflict ignorance selfishness Yearning life for opposite sex: sexual interest Preparing for their life: control over their body and mind consideration for others. A life with hope: blessing death forever healthfulness affiliation to their family. From the results of this study an education and consultation should be done as soon as possible to remove the negative recognition of the institutional life to the facility residents the family and the future consumers of elderly institution. to minimize the maladjustment to facility life of residents a new program and interventions for the new comer's are needed. The thesis with above results will widen the understandings of institutional residents and an important guidance for a better nursing care in elderly institutions of Korea.