The Elderly Peoples’ Perception of Their Psychological Wellbeing in Selected Mainstream Churches in Affluent Karen-Langata Nairobi, Kenya
Keywords:
Elderly people, perception, psychological wellbeingAbstract
The world is experiencing exponential growth in the elderly population. Old age is a difficult time characterized by unfamiliar terrain of loss of traditional family social systems, poor health, and social challenges. It is in this backdrop that the study purposed to explore the lived experiences of the elderly which influence their psychological wellbeing from selected churches in Karen- Langata, Nairobi. The study used a qualitative descriptive phenomenological approach. Purposeful sampling method was used to select 11 respondents in the in-depth interviews and 12 respondents in the focus group discussions (FGD’s). The population of the study was the category of the young-old who were 60-75 years. Verbatim data was transcribed, and descriptive themes were generated to show individual perspectives. The findings of the study indicated that elderly people felt that having family nearby, giving back to the community, and participating in church activities gave their lives meaning. Priority was not given to setting personal development goals before retirement, but the elderly fit their cultural script. The National government should have policies that ensure workers are given financial education to help them set goals while in employment to prepare for old age. To help the elderly improve their psychosocial wellbeing, mental health professionals like psychologists, counselors, and marriage and family therapists should be made available to them. The churches should also prioritize programs for the elderly. They should have transportation arrangements for those who are unable to attend services.
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