Elderly Women's Health Care Experience at Doctorless Farm Villages

Kim, Young Hee; Han, Young Ran

Abstract

PURPOSE: This study investigated elderly women's health care at doctorless farm villages based on information-about the perception and management of their health. METHOD: Grounded theory method as mapped out by Strauss and Corbin-was used to record and transcribe open-ended interviews. The data from these interviews were analyzed. RESULT: We found 18 categories and 28 sub-categories. In data analysis, the core phenomenon was named "movement in pain". Causal condition as essential prerequisites were aging symptoms, bad state of health, comfortable life to live alone, longevity, deficiency of health care resources, and sub-categories of the phenomena revealed acceptance of discomfort, enduring pain, continuity of movability. Elderly women's health-related activities included enduring as it is, movement consciously, applying resources, difficult in using health medical institutions. Family support, economic level, disease condition, support system of community were influenced to their health-related activities. Consequently, the results indicated that they wanted to accept given life, expected easy death, held out remaining life.
CONCLUSION
This study revealed that the most important factor of elderly women's health care was "movement in pain". On the basis of this study, we needed to develop diverse nursing implementation plans for maintaining and improving' movability without pain'.