Transforming spirituality through aging: coping and distress in the search for meaning in very old age

Problem-centered interviews were conducted with 20 oldest old (80+ years) and evaluated via qualitative content analysis to answer the research question of how age-and cultural-specific experiences challenge and transform spirituality in oldest age. This study reveals that socio-cultural and age-related changes do not only support a reconsideration of existential questions of life expressed in faith, but also a reevaluation of life, rethinking of meaningful engagement, and redefinition of fundamental constituents of identity. On affective, reflective as well as performative dimensions of spirituality this changes bear scopes for different forms of spiritual support and spiritual crises, which themselves transform spirituality in old age. Spirituality is for the elderly thereby not a matter of gaining theoretical insights and knowledge, but rather a matter of coherence between perceptions of life, interpretation of life and approaching life ? hence primarily a matter of successful conduct of life on a practical level.