Recruitment of community-dwelling older adults for nursing research: a challenging process

In the face of changing demographics, the need for gerontological nursing research has become central to the development of relevant health and social policies and resources for older adults. The recruitment of community-dwelling older adults presents multiple challenges for the nurse researcher wishing to conduct meaningful research. A common concern cited in the literature is the recruitment of sufficient numbers of older participants. The recruitment of persons 65 years of age and older is influenced by factors such as gender and study design as well as physical, social, psychological, and age-related changes. This paper describes these factors, as well as effective strategies for recruiting older adults, the authors' conceptualization of a 3-phase recruitment process, and key points for the nurse researcher to consider when recruiting subjects.