Companionship at a late age: Romantic attachment as part of the experiences of aging widowers

• Main Authors: Velante, Patrice A., Bailon, Martha R., Garfin, Rhea G., Salvatierra, Katrina D.G.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2016
• Subjects: Widowers > Philippines; Widowhood > Philippines; Fellowship; Attachment behavior
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/10044
• Institution: De La Salle University

Losing a loved one is an inevitable phenomenon for any individual. It is an occurrence that cannot be controlled by anyone and can happen all ages. Likewise, aging people are the ones who need extra attention and care once they enter widowhood or widowerhood. For this qualitative study, the researchers focused on the experiences of widowers who underwent the loss of their wife and later on decided to remarry or look for a romantic companion. They want to determine whether aloneness and loneliness brought about by the loss they experience will have an influencing factor for them to enter into new romantic relationships. Using the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis as the central method of inquiry, the researchers gathered four (4) participants aging from 55 years old onwards to participate in this research study. Several one-on-one interviews were performed as the main data-gathering activity so that the researchers will be able to know more about the respondents' experiences through the use of questions related to attachment, aloneness, moving on process and the like. Consequently, they found out that these widowers sought to have new companions in their life to fulfill their physical and emotional needs as aging individuals. At this stage of their life, they still long for affections and attention from a romantic partner. The data also showed that there was a faster and easier moving on process because of the expectations they have with having a wife with chronic illness. Even so, these widowers were able to cope with their situation with the help coming from their children's social support as well as certain activities to refocus their grief.