Perceptions of Life Burdens and of the Positive Side of Life in a Group of Elderly Patients with Diabetes: A Qualitative Analysis through Grounded The
Perceptions of Life Burdens and of thePositive Side of Life in a Group of Elderly Patients with Diabetes: A Qualitative Analysis through Grounded The

Summary/Abstract: The study focuses on discovering what the main concerns of frail elderly people diagnosed with diabetes are, in terms of perceptions of their lives burdens and their distinctive views on the positive side of life. In the study, there were included 57 individuals, of both gender, aged over 60 years of age (range=60–91 years of age, mean=76.42 years) and diagnosed with diabetes, from two primary care offices from the county of Iasi, Romania. For each of them, we conducted open interviews, and consequently we analyzed and coded the data accordingly to grounded theory. The management of diabetes implies adjustments of diet, non-pharmacological strategies, medication, caring, and also the choice of being compliant or not. Following the inductive theory, there have been identified the following concerns and expectations of elderly diabetic patients about everyday living and their remaining life: reducing their efforts accordingly to the cumulus of diseases and the decline of their quality of life, not being a burden for the family members, maintaining their dignity in front of younger generations, controlling the evolution of their diseases, conceptualizing life satisfaction. The concerns of frail elderly people are preserving their self-esteem and how they are perceived by the community, being useful to their closed ones. The emerging theory shows how the diabetic elderly individuals are coping with their illnesses, with medical support in order to induce positive changes in their remaining life.

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