ATT ÅLDRAS I SVERIGE SOM ÄLDRE INVANDRARE

This study, carried through interviews with six individual elderly persons, describes their stories in regards to how they experience growing old in Sweden as well as the connection between having a different ethnic background in the aging process. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to highlight important themes and issues, i.e. the shortcomings and the advantages of growing old in Sweden, which these persons experience in their everyday life. As many of them have not by their own choice chosen to grow old in Sweden, the importance of having a relationship with fellow countrymen, being able to communicate in their own native language as well as have a basic knowledge about the elderly care system are aspects these individuals emphasize to be of great importance. The result of this study, based on several theories that reflect over individuality and perspective ethnicity, indicates that aging is based on an individual primary process experience and that there are no rights and wrongs of how one should deal with/experience the growing old process. To understand the experience of each individual, you also have to have an insight in the individuals’ former life, which is the understanding of circumstances in the individual’s former social environment in their home country