The purpose of this in-depth, extended phenomenological study is to describe the experience of reaching help quickly (RHQ) for old homebound women who live alone. Annually in the U.S., about 300,000 persons over age 65 who live alone are unable to contact help after a fall or an incapacitating illness. For the many women aged 85 and older who live alone, the public health impact is critical. They perceive a risk of falling and not being found, so they intend to get helpers to the home quickly, but very few subscribe to the personal emergency response system (PERS) that is designed to help them do so. Variations in the experience of RHQ have not been described.
The aims are: (1) To detail the intentions that describe the personal experience of each woman in relation to RHQ and to describe any changes in her intentions that occur over 18 months; (2) To describe the personal, environmental, and socio-cultural context of each woman's experience of RHQ and to consider any changes in context over 18 months in relation to any changes in her intentions; and (3) To discern the phenomena of the experience of RHQ for the sample and to compare the component phenomena of the experience for PERS subscribers and non-subscribers. The Pl's descriptive phenomenological method will be used to guide data gathering and data analysis. The sample of 40 homebound women over the age of 85 will be stratified into Group #1 (n = 24, non-PERS subscribers) and Group #2 (n = 16, PERS subscribers). Over 18 months, five tape-recorded interviews will be done with each woman in her home; the women's SAFETY AND use of space in the home and their perceptions of their support networks relative to RHQ will be ASSESSED. Descriptive taxonomies of the structure of RHQ and its context will be produced. In line with the Pl's research program, the long-term aims of the project are to disseminate new perspectives on old homebound women's health-related experiences, to generate further research topics, and to offer practical ideas to enable these vulnerable women to live at home more safely.
