LAUSR

Literature reviews on elder orphans recommended the need of an in-depth exploration of health care and social issues from their actual experiences. This article explores the experiences of elder orphans living independently in the community on their own with no immediate or close family support. The study utilized a qualitative descriptive approach through face-to-face interviews. Two main themes emerged from the data. The first theme was “advance plans” with the subthemes (a) my to-do list and (b) the right timing. The second theme identified was “informal support network” with the subthemes (a) family is right here and (b) familiarized support system. These findings offered insights on how existing informal networks influence elder orphans’ consideration for advance directives in terms of timing. Moreover, the findings have identified the extent of which informal support network has been received by elder orphans. Currently, the support threshold of these informal networks is unknown, which warrants further research.