Ageing in place: exploring perspectives and lived experiences of Chinese empty nesters and their adult children through interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: China is undergoing a rapid transition into an ageing society, with empty nesters emerging as a significant demographic among the elderly population. Many empty nesters choose 'Ageing in Place (AIP)', which is defined as the ability of older people, regardless of their economic status, age, or intrinsic capacity, to live independently, safely, and comfortably in their own homes and communities. In the Chinese context, the role of adult children in supporting AIP is particularly critical due to the cultural value of filial piety. However, there is limited understanding of how AIP is experienced and interpreted by both empty nesters and their adult children within this cultural framework.

AIMS: This study aims to investigate the lived experiences and perceptions of AIP in China from the perspectives of both empty nesters and their adult children, as well as to explore the intergenerational understanding of AIP in a Chinese sociocultural context.

DESIGN: The study employed an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) methodology to examine the lived experiences of participants.

METHODS: Purposive sampling was used to recruit empty nesters and adult children in Changsha, China. The two study groups were not related. Data were collected from December 2021 to May 2022 through photo elicitation and semi-structured interviews with empty nesters (n=9), and semi-structured interviews with adult children (n=8). Empty nesters were instructed to take photographs of their daily lives prior to the interviews. These photographs were used as prompts during the interviews to help participants recall and reflect on their experiences, thereby enriching their responses. Adult children only participated in 90-minute interviews. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, and the data were analysed using IPA analysis.

RESULTS: The findings on AIP for empty nesters revealed five group experiences themes: 1) Autonomy and freedom in ageing, with sub-themes including a) A life centred around oneself, b) Managing boundaries in intergenerational relationships, and c) Restriction of mobility on autonomy and freedom; 2) Collective, connective and reciprocal ageing, with sub-themes including a) Interdependence with spouses, b) Mutual support and reciprocal care with adult children, c) Social connectedness with old ties and neighbours, and d) State support in ageing; 3) Making sense of ‘place’, with sub-themes including a) Having a physical home to age, b) Keeping an appropriate distance for ‘a bowl of hot soup’, c) Intangible place-ageing in supportive social networks, d) Ageing in a digital world, and e) Not to be ‘Institutionalised’; 4) Losing social participation and social connectivity, with sub-themes including a) Isolated by other residents and the local community and b) Disconnected from each other; and 5) Insufficient access to healthcare resources. From the interviews with adult children, three group experience themes emerged: 1) Managing expectations and negotiating competing demands, with sub-themes involving a) Expecting autonomy and freedom, b) Addressing role transformation and transfer of power within the family, and c) Navigating the 'sandwich generation' dilemmas; 2) Making sense of living apart from ageing parents, with sub-themes involving a) Distance producing beauty, b) Distance bringing about concerns and a sense of insecurity, c) Adopting mitigation strategies to manage risks, d) Living with mutual support and reciprocal care, and e) Needing more state support and community support; and 3) Making sense of ‘filial piety’, with sub-themes involving a) Responsibility and filial obligation, b) Contrasting values on the next generation regarding filial piety, and c) A two-way process.

CONCLUSION: Both empty nesters and adult children, shaped by the cultural tradition of filial piety, demonstrated diverse interpretations of AIP. The study's findings contribute to expanding the understanding of AIP across different cultural contexts and have important implications for developing culturally sensitive policies that support AIP in China and globally.