Health-seeking behaviour of the elderly living alone in an urbanised low-income community in Singapore
| Autor: | Wen Chyi Low, Jesmine Mei Gene Lee, Kheng Hock Lee, Lian Leng Low, Catherine Qiu Hua Chan |
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| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
Gerontology
Male Health Knowledge Attitudes Practice Urban Population Information Seeking Behavior Qualitative property 030204 cardiovascular system & hematology Health Services Accessibility Nonprobability sampling Interviews as Topic 03 medical and health sciences Renting 0302 clinical medicine Health care Adaptation Psychological Medicine Humans 030212 general & internal medicine Social isolation Health Education Poverty Aged Aged 80 and over Singapore business.industry Loneliness General Medicine Disadvantaged Female Original Article medicine.symptom Thematic analysis business |
| Zdroj: | Singapore Med J |
| ISSN: | 0037-5675 |
| Popis: | Introduction Elderly persons who live alone are more likely to be socially isolated and at increased risk of adverse health outcomes, unnecessary hospital re-admissions and premature mortality. We aimed to understand the health-seeking behaviour of elderly persons living alone in public rental housing in Singapore. Methods In-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured question guide. Participants were selected using a purposive sampling approach. Interviews were conducted until theme saturation was reached. Qualitative data collected was analysed using manual thematic coding methods. Results Data analysis revealed five major themes: accessibility of healthcare services and financial assistance schemes; perceived high cost of care; self-management; self-reliance; and mismatch between perceived needs and services. Conclusion Elderly persons living in one-room rental flats are a resilient and resourceful group that values self-reliance and independence. Most of the elderly who live alone develop self-coping mechanisms to meet their healthcare needs rather than seek formal medical consultation. The insightful findings from this study should be taken into consideration when models of healthcare delivery are being reviewed and designed so as to support the disadvantaged elderly living alone. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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