Music makes the elderly individuals alive again!

Launching the fourth spiritual album CD "Iziau Noh ii Pinihi" -You are the Chosen One-
Enjoy listening!
One English spiritual was recording in this CD.

...quality time!

Giving the quality time to the elderly person is always a joy!
Let us continue to give them Love and Acceptance in our community.

Faith with good work

The culture of love! are we able to care for our elderly parents? It might be difficult and challenging but we need to respect their "Human Dignity"
Picture taken after the Mass Service -Pastoral Care of the Sick- Feb, 12. 2011, Borneo.

Pastoral Care for the elderly Individuals-Borneo

At least I am back again to pursue with my blogging. I managed to get this internet connection now. However due to the bad weather, connection can be very bad.
Picture taken during the anointing of the sick or "World day of Prayer for the sick."

Elderly Individuals in Borneo

A man making a fishing net!










An elderly woman weaving fabric material.

A simple and humble life!

How do the elderly individuals in Borneo describe and interpret loneliness?

I am in the process of recruiting "informers" or "participants" for my comparative research on how elderly individuals in Borneo describe and interpret loneliness?
This study will examine and generate an in-depth understanding of loneliness as experienced by eight individuals (65 years and above) living independently.
I will compare these future findings to the findings of my doctoral dissertation which was defended in 2007 at the University of Rochester, NY.

Loneliness and Lived experiences of Elederly Individuals Living Independnetly: Hermeneutic Phenomenological Approach

Peter Abas, L.S.L., M.R.E., M.A., & Ed.D

Loneliness id a pervasive human experience. It is a subjective experience that is influenced by one's personality ans situational variables. Loneliness has been recognized as a public health problem that requires the attention of clinicians and researchers both as a condition in itself and its relationship to other conditions.

The study examined and generated and in-depth understanding of loneliness as experienced by eight individuals (65 years and above) living independently. A hermeneutic-phenomenological approach was used to describe and to interpret the meaning of loneliness in the lived experience of elderly individuals. These interpretations were made possible through the support of the incidental themes, which were formulated by the participants' descriptions of their experiences of loneliness.

Through interpretation, four themes emerged from explanations of how the elderly individuals interpreted loneliness. First, the participant experienced the existence of a painful void. Second, the participants experienced a state of being overwhelmed with work and emotion. Third, participants experienced a state of emotional pain. Fourth, the participant experienced a state of no direction.

These findings affirmed that negative feelings were associated with loneliness according to the participants' descriptions. Understanding the common themes and meanings of the lived experience of these elderly individuals provides an effective base for the therapeutic relationship between counselor and the elder. The strengths and limitations of the study, and significant implications of the findings and future research, practice and education in counseling, were identified.