Life Experiences of Older People Who Are Used to Spend Their Time in Parks

Introduction: Ageing is the crucial occasion of human life reduces physical strength and the ability to do some recreational activities that require physical strength. Moreover, the lack or shortage of recreational and cultural centers force most of the seniors to stay at home or, at best, to sit in front of homes or go to parks and green space in the final years of life. With regard to the specific needs of this age and quality of life in the elderly, it is important to give necessary attention to the elderly daily living story to better understanding of their life status. We aimed to describe the elderly lived experiences during spending their time in parks in Isfahan, Iran. Method: Phenomenological research with purposeful sampling and unstructured interviews as well as Colizis' analysis approach were the main bases of the study. Results: The findings were grouped into ten themes including: spirituality, happiness, nutrition, emotional attachment, stroll in the park, memories, changing appearance, rest, leisure and support resources. Conclusion: Many researchers have expressed a range of factors in elderly daily living as well as economic issues and leisure opportunities that would be altered during retirement. Each of these factors can affect the satisfaction of retired elderly.

Keywords:

Elderly living pattern , Life style , Senior citizen , Parks