[The existential meaning of time for the aged]. / La signification existentielle du temps chez l'être âgé.

ABSTRACT

The notion of time is particularly important to seniors. Because their future prospects are more limited, the past plays a very significant role. It serves as an anchor for the present and a guideline for the future. The passage of time is not uniform for everyone. It evolves over years and is based on accumulated experiences and personal factors such as age, activity and interests. For this reason, the older a person gets, the more each minute counts. Time is also indicative of change and is revered as the value of values. It is a useful tool for highlighting and valuing the present moment and the actual task to be accomplished in the here and now. It is essential that nurses understand the subjective reality of time to each individual patient if they are to give quality care. Comprehending time's existential meaning to seniors will add a further dimension to nursing interventions that are based on Watson's model of care.