Citation

Trujillo LG, Painter JA, Berry CR. J. Womens Health Care 2014; 3(5): e1000178.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, OMICS Publishing Group)

DOI

10.4172/2167-0420.1000178

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

PURPOSE: This phenomenological study explored and described the lived experiences of community-dwelling older adults regarding what falls and fear of falling meant to them, and how each entity influenced self-efficacy, functional performance, and degree of engagement in occupations.

METHODS: Thirty-one older adults, 58 to 94 years old, were interviewed one time at a senior center or continual care retirement community. All interviews were analyzed using QSR NUD*IST 6 software.

RESULTS: Three main themes emerged: 1) highly fearful, and having their lives affected by the fear of falling; 2) having fallen, but rationalized their fears and modified their lives accordingly; and, 3) felt they had not fallen by their definition and remained active in place.

CONCLUSION: Findings suggest the importance for practitioners to listen and understand their clients' stories and perceptions of how they are selectively engaging in life's activities while maintaining a personal perception of living an active life style.

Language: en