Experiences Of Older Women Research Articles

Abuse of older women in the United States: A review of empirical research, 2017–2019

This article presents the results of a review of literature on abuse of older women. A systematic search was conducted in five electronic databases for empirical articles published from 2017 through 2019. Of the 727 articles initially captured, 20 articles met the inclusion criteria for review. Across the 20 articles, four primary focal areas emerged: prevalence and incidence of abuse, type of abuse, at-risk populations, and health outcomes. Most of the studies addressed issues identified in prior publications as the study authors attempted to untangle previous findings, expand study samples, and employ novel approaches to data collection. Only 5 articles focused specifically on abuse experienced by older women; older women comprised at least 50% of the sample in each of the other articles. In the latter studies, when gender was included as a study variable, the study authors reported few differences between older women and men with respect to risk factor for and outcomes of abuse. More gender-specific research is needed to better understand the circumstances and outcomes of older women's lived experiences and to inform the development of preventive strategies and gender-sensitive interventions for mitigating elder abuse. • Research reviewed focused on prevalence of abuse, abuse types, populations at risk, and health outcomes of elder abuse. • Few study samples include only older women; older women predominated samples that included both older women and men. • Study authors attempted to untangle previous findings by expanding their study samples and enhancing their study designs. • Across studies of elder abuse there was great heterogeneity in focus, study samples, and methodological approaches.

Improving Health Equity for Women Involved in the Criminal Legal System.

Improving Health Equity for Women Involved in the Criminal Legal System.

“If they can do it, I can do it”: experiences of older women who engage in powerlifting training

ABSTRACT Older adults’ participation in resistance training is low. Recent research suggests social aspects are important determinants of exercise engagement. In this study, 13 older women (50 years and older) were interviewed to examine their experiences of powerlifting training. Data were thematically analyzed revealing two main themes: Challenging Beliefs and Positive Social Influences. Peer advocates were essential for uptake, with social interactions in group resistance training, and having a skilled trainer, identified as important adherence factors. Strategies to improve resistance training uptake in older women could leverage off the experience of others and powerlifting training culture and practices.

Health needs: experience of older women in a day center

Health needs: experience of older women in a day center

Being and Performing "Older" Woman in Electronic Dance Movement Culture

This article foregrounds the accounts of a cohort of clubbers who are largely ignored both by journalists and scholars alike. Grounded in the accounts of aging female clubbers and their participation in electronic dance music culture, it investigates the lived experience of being and performing the category of ‘older woman’ in this context. It examines the materiality of their participation and their tactical responses to being in an environment that has been associated traditionally with youth. In a landscape where scholarship on female participation in club cultures is, at best, scarce, research into the experiences of older women in dance music culture is virtually non-existent. As such this article represents a first step in addressing a significant gap in understanding women’s engagement with dance cultures as they mature.

Life experience of older women with chronic conditions: Flow and Balance as a coping resource

ABSTRACTIn this qualitative study we explored the experience and meaning of participating in Flow and Balance (FAB) in older women with chronic illness. A total of 11 participants were recruited for in-depth interviews. The findings demonstrated that participation in FAB helps cope with chronic illness and daily stress. Specifically, three themes emerged from the analysis: (a) developing positive emotions, (b) building meaningful relationships, and (c) feeling grateful in everyday life. Our findings are consistent with the existing literature that leisure-time physical activities play an important role in finding personal meaning in life for older adults living with chronic illness.

Older Women's Experiences of Aging and Health: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study.

Objective: This interpretive phenomenological study explored older Irish women’s experiences of aging and health related issues. Method: Data were collected using in-depth interviews with 23 older women (coresearchers). Data analysis followed the “Vancouver school of doing phenomenology” framework and included a meta-synthesis of individual case constructions. Results: “Retaining autonomy within a process of adaptation and continued engagement” describes the essential meaning of coresearchers’ experiences. Four themes were identified: “Being in control: Balancing needs and supports,” “Navigating a changing world,” “Being connected and involved,” “Trying to stay well.” Discussion: Gender shapes older women’s experience of aging, health, and ill health. Three major factors moderate their experience: autonomy and control, proactivity and adaptability, and staying engaged with life. The study concludes that aging, gender, and health are intrinsically linked and collectively shape older women’s experience. This is an important consideration when planning gender-appropriate health care services for older women.

Hushed Voices: Views and Experiences of Older Women on Partner Abuse in Later Life

ᅟIntimate partner violence(IPV) in later life is a topic that is in its infancy in India. IPV among elderly women in particular has largely been overlooked by researchers as well as by the service providers primarily because the society doesn’t recognise IPV in later life. Moreover, it gets gleaned over because of the incertitude about categorising the violence inflicted upon elderly women by their partners under the fold of Elder Abuse(EA) or Domestic Violence(DV). People working in the area of Domestic Violence usually provide services to the women in their 20s and 30s and not to women older than 50 experiencing similar abusive relationships. People working in the area of Elder Abuse focus on abuse perpetrated by children and caregivers and not on abuse by partners. This confucion of categorisation has led to a complete neglect of this area of public health concern. The present exploratory study was designed to understand the causes, patterns and psychosocial consequences of IPV among elderly women (50 years and above). Using a multi-method approach, this qualitative study aims to identify key themes, and issues related to causes and consequences of IPV in later life. The data draws primarily from in-depth interviews with the survivors of abuse in later life and focus group discussions conducted with women of lower and middle class who are all 50 above. In addition to this, in-depth interviews were done with the key informants who are the service providers for such women. The survivors were chosen through critical case purposive sampling technique, while, the key informants were chosen using expert purposive sampling technique. For condensing the interviews, thematic analysis was performed. The results revealed that the perception of traditional gender roles in the society had led to preservation of women's subordinate position. When the participants of this research were growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, the social bounderies of gender were extremely rigid and the wives were expected to behave in a way that was acceptable for husbands. Abuse mostly started in early age and tended to continue in later life. But the form of abuse often changes as the couples became older. Physical abuse declined with age and was replaced by psychological abuse. Lack of support in old age and the stigma attached to divorce were the biggest restraining factors. Most women reported education and mass media as the primary agents of change. The psychological and social consequences included recourse to substance use, withdrawal from social life, low self- esteem, etc. The study has implications both for policy making and clinical practice.

Accepting, active and in control: older women's experiences of ageing with peripheral arterial disease

AbstractThe population of Australia is ageing, with women being the primary beneficiaries of this increase in longevity. Increasingly older individuals are being diagnosed with different chronic illnesses such as peripheral arterial disease (PAD) which causes blockages of the blood vessels in the legs resulting in pain, non-healing ulcers, immobility and the potential amputation of the threatened limb. PAD has been traditionally thought to affect men more than women. Resultingly, women have been under-represented in clinical trials of PAD and under-diagnosed in the health-care setting. However, it has recently been acknowledged that women are indeedmorelikely to suffer from PAD than men due to increased presence of disease and survival advantage. As such, very little is known about women's understanding of and the meaning they create of their experiences of PAD. Therefore, how older women with PAD experience the ageing process is the focus of this qualitative research project. Interviews were conducted with 11 women from Sydney, Australia aged over 65 years who had been diagnosed with PAD. The interviews were analysed using an inductive thematic analysis. Three manifest themes were constructed: independence and control, active and involved, and the acceptance of ageing. These findings emphasised the idea that despite the presence of a chronic illness and increased age, remaining independent and engaged with life was vital to these women's wellbeing. Their subjective experiences of ageing reflect the fact that by adapting to the physical, mental and social changes that come with growing older, the focus does not need to be on loss and decline but rather can be about the continuation of life that can be both positive and meaningful.

Changes, changes? Women's experience of sexuality in later life

ABSTRACTResearch employing representative samples has provided data about the sexual expression of older adults in the past decade. The results indicate that sexual activity declines with age. Most of the data are quantitative. The purpose of this research was to study the lived experience of women aged 55–80. We ask: how does women's sexuality change in later life, and how do women experience these changes? We conducted face-to-face interviews with 24 women aged 55–80; all self-identified as heterosexual. Most of the women recounted declining sexual desire in the recent past; some attributed it to feeling less attractive or “frumpy”, others to physical changes that made sexual activity uncomfortable, and others to partners’ health problems. Paradoxically, only a minority reported declining frequency of sexual activity, while others reported stable frequencies, citing the importance of sex to the relationship. A minority described increased frequency, in some cases associated with entering a new relationship. Most women reported reacting to the changes by exercising agency; they described a diverse set of behavioral changes designed to maintain or enhance sexual expression. Our results provide insights into older women's experiences of change in sexuality, and their use of agency to cope with these changes.

Erosion of pension rights: Experiences of older women in Ireland

ABSTRACTThe recent economic crisis of 2008 and the fragility of government revenues sharply illuminated the contested nature of pension rights in Europe. The crisis intensified calls for an overhaul of pension systems across Europe including raising retirement age, increasing contribution years, auto-enrolment in occupational schemes, and changing tax relief on private pension contributions. However, the impact of the economic crisis and the implications of pension-policy changes are not the same for everyone: vulnerable groups, such as older women workers, are often ignored. Using a feminist political economy of ageing approach and a life-course perspective, we examine the impact of the economic crisis on the pension provision of older women workers in Ireland, where pension reforms have intensified since 2008. This research, which fills an important gap in Irish literature on pensions and provides insights to the European discourse on austerity and pensions, verifies that gendered vulnerability constrains women’s pension accumulation, thus undermining their social citizenship rights.

Unlocking stories: Older women's experiences of intimate partner violence told through creative expression.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) impacts significantly on the lives and health of those who experience abuse The impact of IPV exerts a detrimental impact on mental health as well as physical health, but this is often not recognized by professionals WHAT THE STUDY ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE: This study highlights the impact of IPV on the lives and health of older women from the perspective of older women themselves The approach taken to the study illuminates the ways in which older women describe their experiences within the broader narratives of their experiences This study has explored the particular situation for older women as told through creative expression and their own stories of survivorship. Nurses and other healthcare professionals need to be aware of the enduring impact of IPV for older women, particularly within the context of mental health Those working with older women also need to be alert to the potential barriers to disclosure and disjuncture between professional dialogue and personal narrative ABSTRACT: Introduction Intimate partner violence (IPV) exerts a detrimental impact on the lives and health of all who experience abuse. This includes both physical and mental health and well-being. The experiences of older women however may be different, and these differences may not be recognized or accounted for within existing care provision. Aim To explore the impact of IPV on the lives and health of older women told from the particular perspective of older women themselves as these accounts are largely absence from existing IPV discourse. Method An arts-based research approach with five older women survivors of IPV through the codevelopment and organization of an arts-based workshop. The workshop essentially encompassed four main arts strands and included the creation of clay models and poetry. Findings The findings of the study highlight the significant impact of IPV on the lives, mental health and well-being of older women. This included feelings of social isolation, inability to trust others and a loss of self-identity. Discussion Intimate partner violence is a global issue and as such of relevance for those working in healthcare contexts beyond the UK. While there is a growing body of evidence surrounding IPV and older women, this has largely been presented through researcher-led accounts and as such the narratives of women themselves may not have been adequately acknowledged. Unlike much of the existing evidence, this study has explored the particular situation for older women as told through creative expression and their own stories of survivorship. In this study, the fluidity of the potential materials available in the workshops meant that both the representations through which the women spoke and the primacy of their voices, over those of more traditional researcher accounts, were in evidence throughout. Implications for Practice Mental health nurses and practitioners are often on the front line for care and support for older client populations. IPV across the life span is a global issue for healthcare practitioners. It is anticipated that the findings of this study will provide the mechanism through which mental health nurses and other practitioners may reflect on older women's accounts of IPV as told by older women in this study in their own words. Reframing from dominant professional discourse to personal narrative is central to person-centred approaches and is central to contemporary practice. Ultimately, this has the potential to improve the effectiveness of care provision and support. Relevance to Mental Health Nursing The findings presented in this study have the potential to provide a powerful tool for those working within mental health contexts and healthcare professionals working with older populations more generally to consider both the hidden nature of IPV and the ways in which IPV can significantly impact on mental health and well-being in later life.

Appearance Dissatisfaction, Body Appreciation, and Sexual Health in Women Across Adulthood.

Risk and protective factors are equally important to the promotion of sexual health. Yet, in body image and sexuality research, most of the focus has been placed on the deleterious effects of appearance dissatisfaction and body mass index (BMI) at the expense of more adaptive dimensions. Furthermore, although age can affect appearance and sexual function, little is known regarding the experience of older women. Therefore, this study was aimed at comparing how positive body image (operationalized as body appreciation) and negative body image (operationalized as appearance dissatisfaction) each contribute to indicators of sexual health when controlling for BMI in a sample of age-varied women. Cross-sectional data were collected online from 215 heterosexual women aged 18-88years. Results showed that body appreciation was a unique predictor of sexual function, satisfaction, and distress, above and beyond the effect of BMI and appearance dissatisfaction. Body appreciation was not found to fluctuate with age. Further, body appreciation moderated the relationship between age and sexual satisfaction, but not sexual distress. Post hoc analyses showed that high body appreciation may serve as a buffer against age-related changes in sexual satisfaction only in women with clinically significant sexual function difficulties. Increasing body appreciation may be a promising clinical intervention in the treatment of sexual problems in older adult women.

Older women, intimate partner violence and mental health: a consideration of the particular issues for health and healthcare practice.

To explore qualitative evidence in older women with a history of intimate partner violence and their accounts and experiences of mental health. Intimate partner violence significantly impacts the health and well-being of women who experience it. However, women who experience intimate partner violence do not form a homogenous group and the effect on older women has not been adequately distinguished. While there is a growing body of evidence to address this deficit, studies to date have tended to concentrate on older women's experiences of intimate partner violence in totality and as such mental health issues have been subsumed as a part of the whole. Meta-ethnographic synthesis of qualitative evidence. A systematic search of PUBMED, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, COCHRANE, Medline and PsycInfo, Sci was completed. The search included articles published up until the end of December 2015. The review identified that intimate partner violence exerts a significant impact on the mental health of older women. Intimate partner violence for women in later life is inherently complex, especially where the boundaries of violence and vulnerability have been blurred historically both within the intimate partner violence discourse and through provision and practice. This study adds to the developing knowledge and understanding of intimate partner violence for older women as a part of the growing body of evidence of the impact of intimate partner violence on the health and well-being of those who experience abuse more generally. When age and gender intersect with intimate partner violence, there are specific implications and health professionals and service providers need to be aware of these. urses and healthcare professionals are professionally accountable for the effective management and support of women who have experienced abuse. It is therefore crucial that they are able to understand and identify the possible complexity of presentations of abuse and this includes older women.

Expressing sexuality in nursing homes. The experience of older women: A qualitative study

In nursing homes, a number of barriers to the expression of sexuality exist, such as the lack of privacy, certain attitudes on behalf of the staff and the family, the lack of a sexual partner, and physical limitations. The aim of this study was to describe the lived experience of sexuality in elderly Spanish women residing in nursing homes. A qualitative phenomenological approach was followed. Data were collected over an 18-month period between 2013 and 2015. Purposeful sampling was conducted with Spanish residents in nursing homes in Madrid. Data were collected using unstructured and semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Twenty female residents participated. Three main themes emerged from the data: a) expressing sexuality, b) sexuality as a duty and c) respecting vows. Female residents reported key elements influencing how they manage their sexuality in Nursing Homes. These results serve to improve our understanding regarding the expression of sexuality in older female nursing home residents.

I Am Woman, See Me (Sweat)!: Older Women and Sport

As women age, society assigns stereotypes that suggest that older women are no longer capable of being competent athletes. In considering the experiences of older women in sport from a sociological perspective, this article provides a short summary of works examining older women in masters sport settings, as well as three brief case studies of older women engaged in sport and movement. As American women age, more of them will have experienced organized high school sport (after the passage of Title IX), suggesting that the experiences of older women in sport will take on new dimensions and meanings worthy of exploration.

Elderly women's experiences with depression

Background: The number of elderly in Brazil gradually increases. Among some chronic diseases that emerge with aging, depression is highlighted. In elderly women this problem is more prevalent due to factors related to the female population in this age group. Objective: Comprehend the experiences of older women with depression. Methods: Qualitative study, developed in four Psychosocial Care Center II, the city of Teresina, Piaui, Brazil with eight elderly women with depression. Data were collected in March and April 2015, through open interviews. Content analysis enabled the formulation of three categories. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee (Process no 890 501). Results: The experience of elderly woman with depression is permeated by emotional symptoms such as fear, depression, anhedonia, crying and suicidal ideas. That walk in the Depression they point to the need for aid (medical or otherwise) and coping strategies (walking and religion) to assist in overcoming this problem. Conclusion: The experiences of these women contributes to the treatment, as there is wealth of information in these reports that enables the improvement of individual and humanized care.

Older International Migrant Women’s Reflexive Engagement with Religion

This article considers older international migrant women’s reflexive engagement with religion. The article is based on a sub-sample of data from an ESRC research study that set out to explore the ethnically diverse experiences of older women. In this article we argue older migrant women’s relationship with religion is a reflexive dynamic process influenced by social identities of age, ethnicity, and migrant. Moreover, that religion is multidimensional and its reflexive incorporation into older women’s lives is influenced by ongoing and previous life events.

A painful, never ending story: older women's experiences of living with an osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture.

SummaryVertebral compression fractures (VCF) cause pain and decreased physical ability, with no known well-established treatment. The aim of this study was to illuminate the experience of living with a VCF. The results show that fear and concerns are a major part of daily life. The women’s initial contact with health-care providers should focus on making them feel acknowledged by offering person-centered and tailored support.IntroductionIn the past decade, osteoporotic-related fractures have become an increasingly common and costly public health problem worldwide. Vertebral compression fracture (VCF) is the second most common osteoporotic fracture, and patients with VCF describe an abrupt descent into disability, with a subsequent desire to regain independence in everyday life; however, little is known of their situation. The aim of this study was to illuminate the lived experience of women with an osteoporotic VCF.MethodsTen women were interviewed during 2012–2013, starting with an open-ended question: could you tell me what it is like to live with a vertebral compression fracture? The verbatim transcribed interviews were analyzed using a phenomenological hermeneutical approach.ResultsThe narrative provided descriptions of living in turmoil and chaos, unable to find stability in their life with little improvement regarding pain and physical function. Shifts from periods of constant pain to periods of fear of constant pain created a loss of confidence and an increased sense of confinement. The structural analysis revealed fear and concerns as the most prominent experience building on five themes: struggling to understand a deceiving body, breakthrough pain fueling fear, fearing a trajectory into isolation, concerns of dependency, and fearing an uncertain future.ConclusionsUntil researchers find a successful prevention or medical/surgical treatment for osteoporotic VCFs, health-care providers and society abandon these women to remain in a painful and never ending story.

Acknowledging How Older Australian Women Experience Life After Stroke: How Does the WHO 18-Item Brief ICF Core Set for Stroke Compare?

We examined older women's qualitative experiences of stroke with the World Health Organization's 18-item Brief International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Set for Stroke. Women were participants of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, born between 1921 and 1926, who had experienced a stroke in the previous 3 years. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted of women's qualitative experiences of stroke, which were then examined with the 18-item Brief Core Set for Stroke for congruency. Our analysis showed that for older Australian women, their concerns of poststroke living were not adequately classified, potentially impeding a full recovery.