Women's Experience of Ageing With a Chronic Condition

Date
2007-05-01
Authors
Giddings, LS
Roy, DE
Predeger, E
Supervisor
Item type
Journal Article
Degree name
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
John Wiley & Sons
Abstract

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to explore the experiences of ‘almost old’ women as they grow older while living with a chronic condition.

Background.  Little is known about the contextual effects of ageing and how it shapes and is shaped by a woman's chronic illness experience. Nurses’ understanding of this phenomenon can have positive effects on how their client accesses and responds to healthcare.

Method.  Seven women aged between 50 and 58 years participated in this interpretive descriptive study that explored the issues of ageing with a chronic condition. Three focus groups were held between March 2003 and March 2004. Transcriptions were analyzed after each focus group. Participants were given the opportunity to respond to the findings as the analysis progressed.

Findings.  The experience of living with a chronic illness foreshadowed what was to come with ageing and embodied the ageing process: it was just part of their lives. Alongside this, the women now felt less out of place. Their peers were catching up and beginning to experience aspects of participants’ everyday reality. The women, however, experienced double jeopardy because ageing amplified the ongoing vulnerabilities of living with a chronic condition.

Conclusion.  Nurses who recognize the resourcefulness and expertise of women who live with a chronic condition can effectively be co-strategists in their helping them to age well.

Description
Keywords
Chronic illness , Focus groups , Nurse–patient relationships , Qualitative approaches , Women's health
Source
Journal of Advanced Nursing, vol 58 (6), pp. 557–565
Rights statement
Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved. Authors retain the right to place his/her pre-publication version of the work on a personal website or institutional repository. This article may not exactly replicate the final version published in (please see citation) as it is not a copy of this record. An electronic version of this article can be found online at: (Please see Publisher’s Version)