Meaningful life experience to the elderly

The purpose of the study was to identify the basic structure of an experience from life through which or during which the elderly derive the sense that life is meaningful, as a manifestation of the human spirit. A phenomenological methodology was used, with participants being interviewed until common themes emerged. Protocols obtained from the interviews were analyzed according to the seven-step method developed by Colaizzi (1978). An exhaustive description of the meaningful experience was obtained; it includes four common themes. The themes and the implications for nursing practice are discussed.