台灣老人常用好命歹命形容生活，「年老時好命」指是一個「理想老年生活」的狀態，幫助老人過理想的老年生活是健康照護工作者所關心的議題，但現今文獻極少探討老人對理想生活與好命歹命的認知。研究目的：探討中老年人對老年理想生活與老年好命歹命的認知，以及瞭解生
活經驗與社會文化情境對此認知的影響。研究方法：以民族誌為研究方法，立意取樣二十名居住於台中縣市六十至八十八歲的老人參與深入訪談和參與觀察。訪談錄音，並對內容做逐字稿，輔以ATLAS.ti 5.59 軟體做分析編碼。研究結果：老人定義好命為一個「看開就是好命」的心理狀態，包括看開家庭支持、身體健康和功能獨立、及經濟無缺等三個面向。生命回顧的縱貫思維影響老人對生活現況的評估，個人並因時間、個人、社會文化情境的變化而對生活的各個
面向做動態性的詮釋與評估。研究結論：此世代老人的理想生活以家庭為核心，於現實與期待的落差裡做調適，好命歹命的範疇鑲嵌(embedded)於個人經歷及台灣近代社會文化情境。

Older Taiwanese often used “having a good/bad life” to comment on life.
“Having a good life” points to “an ideal state of living in old age.” Promotion of older adults to live in this state is an issue concerning the professionals who work with older people. Current literature offers limited discussion on what this state of living entails and “having a good/bad life”from the perspectives of older adults themselves. Purpose. This study investigated the meanings and dimensions of “having a good/bad life” and “an ideal state of living in old age” from the senior’s perspectives, the interaction among the dimensions, and the influences of personal experiences and socio-cultural contexts. Methodology.
Ethnography served as methodological guide. Twenty 60-88 year-old seniors in central Taiwan were recruited via purposive sampling and participated in taped in-depth interviews and participatory observations. The records were transcribed in verbatim and analyzed with Atlas.ti 5.59 software. Results. “Take it easy” was considered central to an ideal state of living and brings together three intricately inter-related dimensions – family support, physical health and independence, and financial independence. The narratives revealed that the seniors used a lifespan perspective to assess their current state of living.Temporal, personal, and socio-cultural contexts influenced how and what meanings were attributed to each dimensions. Conclusions. Family perspective
dominated the themes of “an ideal life in old age” in then narratives of older Taiwanese. They attempted to balance the gap between ideal state and reality.Meanings and domains of “having a good/bad life” is embedded in personal experience and contemporary socio-cultural contexts in Taiwan.