A Study on Aging Experiences and Later Life Expectations of Middle-aged People with a Lifelong Disability

[[abstract]]長期障礙者老化已成為一新興的社會現象，國外對此議題有較多面向的探討，國內則仍欠缺累積相關文獻。本研究運用現象學方法，探討中高齡長期障礙者的老化經驗與老年生活期待。研究參與者共廿九位，依其生命歷程經驗分為三群組，包括：「永遠的孩子們」、「一路走來始終如一」、及「生命大逆轉」。研究結果藉由研究參與者在「家庭生活」與「療癒照顧」二面向描述，描述其共同與獨特生命歷程的經驗。研究結果發現，對於中高齡長期障礙者的老化經驗與老年生活期待的本質探究，必須回到身心障礙經驗的根源、身心障礙者在世存有的人我關係、身體寓居於世的生活環境、以及生命歷程一連串的安排與選擇來耙梳出經驗的脈絡，最後，研究者歸納出調和老化模型，作為認識中高齡長期障礙者老化經驗與老年生活期待的架構，並以此模型檢視中高齡長期障礙者生命歷程經驗到的排除與撤退。研究者對未來社會政策發展建議包括：回歸以需求為導向的社會政策與福利服務、肯定不同群體的主體經驗與公民參與權利、建構無障礙的人文態度與物理空間環境，對社會工作實務的未來發展與建議包括：充實跨界的知識及對生命本體的認識，將服務的選擇權、決定權交與服務使用者，發展以人為本的療癒照顧與健康照顧管理計畫，發展小單位、具區隔的、似家的機構照顧模式。[[abstract]]People aging with a lifelong disability are a relatively new social phenomena. Many dimensions of this agenda have been discussed in western countries, but not the case of Taiwan. This thesis employs phenomenology to investigate the aging experiences and later life expectations of middle-aged people with a lifelong disability. The total participants are 29, divided into 3 groups according to their life courses, "the forever little child", "the only one way to go", and "the great reversal of life". Research outcomes present the participants' common and unique life course experiences of family life and healing and health care experiences. To inquire the essences of aging experiences and later life expectations of middle-aged people with a lifelong disability should inquire the contexts of the origin of disability, the I-we relationships of being-in-the-world for people with disability, the living environments of fitting-in-the-world for bodies, and the successive arrangements and choices made during life courses. Research proposes the harmonious aging model to construct the knowledge bases of aging experiences and later life expectations of people with a lifelong disability, and use this model to examine the experienced exclusion and disengagement throughout the life course of middle-aged people with a lifelong disability. Researcher suggests the social policy makers should reconsider the core principle of need-oriented policy and services, recognize the subjective experiences and the citizen rights of different groups, construct barrier-free environment of humanity attitude and physical spaces. Researcher also suggests the social work practitioners exploring the knowledge of different disciplines and ontology of life, giving the rights of making choices and decisions to service users, developing humanity healing and health care management plans, and creating the small unit, separated, and home-like institutional care models.[[note]]博