Inquiry of the experiential world of the grandmother-grandchildren relationship Focusing as a research tool for the experience of "grandfather"

Abstract

Statistics show that in the developed countries the population segment corresponding to the elderly is growing and that, within this, women survive their husbands for many years. The most investigated aspects refer to the physical and mental deterioration of the elderly and to a lesser extent to the variables that realize how despite the inevitable deterioration there are elderly adults who remain psychically and physically active and have healthy life experiences. There is still not much about the experience of being old with vitality in the relational aspects that are created with family members. Specifically, we have not yet been able to say how in a stage of involution women can continue to grow in contact with grandchildren. Consequently, we do not know how to potentiate "grandfather" for enrichment of both and the community.