Growing older in the context of needing geriatric assessment: a qualitative study
Sammanfattning
Aim: The number of older adults will increase worldwide in the next 30 years, with many
expected to develop chronic diseases and consequently require additional medical assessments
and adequate care. The aim of this study was to describe how a group of older adults who need
geriatric assessment experience growing older.
Methodology: A qualitative study was performed. The empirical data consisted of qualitative in-depth
interviews with eight older persons referred to geriatric assessment (median age 76, range 65-86).
The interviews were analysed based on Giorgi's descriptive phenomenological methodology.
Results: The results led to an overall essence and five themes. The five themes were identified: (i)
considerations to avoid weakness, (ii) compensation for the inability to perform certain activities, (iii)
aides - a symbol of freedom or limitation, (iv) lifestyle considered being particularly significant and
(v) considerations about the end of life as a component of growing older. The essence was defined
as: illness essential for the experience of growing older and pointed to the experience of growing
older that highlighted that experiencing illnesses and limitations served as reminders of their
advancing age.
Conclusion: Growing older while in need of comprehensive geriatric assessment led to participants
feeling they were no longer able to do the same things, they used to do. Consequently, compensation
became an essential part of adaption to the altered situation. Aides that helped to overcome
limitations in every daily life had the status of either creating freedom or being limiting in things they
wished to do. Considerations about lifestyle were focused on housing and change of dwelling. This
also led to thoughts about the future and end of life. Additional research regarding accommodations
in older age is warranted to offer the best solutions for older people. Published by arrangement with
John Wiley & Sons.