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Managing personal integrity: the process of hospitalization for elders
1School of Nursing, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA. jacelon@nursing.umass.edu
Journal of Advanced Nursing
|May 14, 2004
Summary
Hospitalized elders actively manage their personal integrity, prioritizing health, then dignity, and finally autonomy, to navigate their hospital stay and return home. This study offers insights into elder care strategies.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Sociology
- Nursing Research
Background:
- 40% of Americans aged 75+ are hospitalized annually in the USA.
- Limited literature exists on hospitalized elders' perspectives.
- Understanding elder experiences is crucial for improved healthcare.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore hospitalized elders' experiences and behaviors.
- To understand the meaning of hospitalization for elders.
- To develop a theory explaining social processes during hospitalization.
Main Methods:
- Grounded theory approach using interviews and participant observation.
- Inclusion criteria: 75+ years old, English-speaking, non-surgical admission, able to consent.
- Data analysis included coding; trustworthiness ensured via multiple methods.
Main Results:
- Hospitalization is a process from health alteration identification to home adjustment.
- Personal integrity (health, dignity, autonomy) is central to elders' experience.
- Elders strategically managed personal integrity, focusing sequentially on health, dignity, and autonomy.
Conclusions:
- Hospitalized elders actively choose interactions and actions to manage health, dignity, and autonomy.
- Findings inform nursing care development.
- Implications for future research on elder hospitalization are highlighted.