Elderly persons’ experiences of living with venous leg ulcer: living in a dialectal relationship between freedom and imprisonment

TLDR

The study aimed to illuminate how elderly people experience living with venous leg ulcers. The authors conducted in‑depth interviews with 15 patients aged 74–89 and analyzed the data phenomenologically using a Ricoeur‑inspired hermeneutic method. Four themes emerged—altered body image, restricted living, well‑being amid pain, and hope versus despair—revealing that living with a venous leg ulcer is a dialectic between feeling imprisoned and yearning for freedom, underscoring the need for nurses to recognize patients’ perceptions to provide sensitive care.

Abstract

Elderly persons’ experiences of living with venous leg ulcer: living in a dialectal relationship between freedom and imprisonment The aim was to illuminate elderly persons’ experiences of living with venous leg ulcer. Fifteen persons 74–89 years of age with active leg ulcer were interviewed. Data were analysed utilizing a phenomenological‐hermeneutic approach inspired by Ricoeur. The analysis includes dialectic movement between understanding and explanation of the text as a whole and its parts. In the structural analysis four themes were identified: emotional consequences of altered body image, living a restricted life, achievement of well‐being in connection with a painful wound and bandage, and struggle between hope and despair with regard to a lengthy healing process. The comprehensive understanding indicated that the meaning of living with venous leg ulcer can be understood as a dialectal relationship between, on the one hand the feeling of being imprisoned in the body, the bandage and the home, and on the other hand, hope of freedom from a burdensome body. The results indicate that the concept, body of image, is vitally relevant to the caring of elderly people with venous leg ulcer. The study shows the importance of recognizing the persons’ perceptions of their leg ulcers and the impact of these perceptions on well‐being. Nurses can thereby anticipate problems and provide more sensitive care.