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Seniors' narratives of asking (and not asking) for help after a fall: implications for identity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 November 2014

PATRICIA A. MILLER ,
CHRISTINA SINDING ,
LAUREN E. GRIFFITH ,
HARRY S. SHANNON  and
PARMINDER RAINA
PATRICIA A. MILLER*
Affiliation:
School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
CHRISTINA SINDING
Affiliation:
School of Social Work, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada. Department of Health, Aging and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
LAUREN E. GRIFFITH
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
HARRY S. SHANNON
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada. Institute for Work & Health, Toronto, Canada.
PARMINDER RAINA
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
*
Address for correspondence: Pat Miller, PT, PhD c/o School of Rehabilitation Science, Institute for Applied Health Sciences, Room 403, McMaster University, 1400 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaL8S 1C7. E-mail: pmiller@mcmaster.ca
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Abstract

Falls among community-dwelling seniors constitute a major public health concern because of the potential morbidity and mortality associated with the fall. This study examined the informal care networks accessed by Canadian seniors who had visited the Emergency Department as a result of a fall, and considered the implications of the processes of asking for and receiving help on the senior's identity. Four themes were identified. The first was valuing independence. The remaining three themes concerned threats to the participants' identities linked to the need to ask for or receive help from family and friends. They were: becoming indebted, feeling devalued and becoming a burden to others. Seniors were noted to excuse family members from the expectation of helping because of work and family commitments, and illness. Participants described a mutually beneficial relationship with friends wherein both parties valued their independence and provided assistance to the other when needed. Their comments suggested that assistance was viewed as a good to be traded among peers. Our findings indicate that seniors value their independence and may not seek help even when it appears to be available, if asking threatens valued identities. Health and social care practitioners and policy makers responsible for planning and delivery of services should take this into account in order to ensure the best possible care for injured community-dwelling seniors.

Keywords

narrative analysisinformal careseniorsidentityfalls
Type
Articles
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 36 , Issue 2 , February 2016 , pp. 240 - 258
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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