Being an institutionalized elderly person: meaning of experiences based on Heidegger's phenomenology.

Objective: Analyze the meaning of being an elderly person living in a long-term institution.

Method: Qualitative study based on Martin Heidegger's thought. Twelve phenomenological interviews were conducted with people aged over 60 years living in a long-term institution for the elderly in the city of Itabuna, Bahia, Brazil.