Successful ageing by whose definition? Views of older, spiritually affiliated women

Abstract

Objectives: Researchers have pointed to significant omissions in Rowe and Kahn's model of successful ageing and their lack of consultation with older people. This study examined late mid-life and older women's views of successful ageing. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 14 women aged 60-89 years. Participants who identified themselves as spiritual and religious, or spiritual only and not religious, were recruited using the 'snowball technique'. Thematic analyses were conducted within an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis framework. Results: Participants described multiple dimensions of successful ageing with 15 subthemes grouped into three overarching categories of personal agency, social value and quality of life/quality of death. Conclusions: Participants' multidimensional views of successful ageing were broader than Rowe and Kahn's model and included the need to have a degree of autonomy over the place and manner of the last phase of life and final days (successful dying). © 2008 The Authors.