Older Adults—Their Focus on Food and Future Living: A Grounded Theory Approach

Abstract

Older adults, also known as the silver generation, are the new healthy generation. This generation has for many decades formed the basis for the prosperity found in Norway. The ageing population is growing rapidly in many countries around the world. The aim of this paper is to understand healthy active older adults’ interpretations of food and meals and their focus on food and future living. Nine CurroCus® group interviews, or fast focus groups, were conducted, lasting 37 to 56 minutes with an average of 45 minutes. Altogether, 76 persons from both genders participated, with an age span of 60 to 87 years, although participants were predominantly female (80%). The main findings indicated that older adults expect good overall experiences at nursing homes, including food and drink with good standards adapted to the individual’s needs and smaller apartments with common rooms for activities; they also actively use technology in their everyday lives. Future research should focus on areas such as user interaction strains around food in nursing homes and home residents, various measures for enabling the elderly to stay at home longer, and the mapping of combinations of food and medicines. In addition, different types of housing units should be better investigated.