Perception of Elderly People Health and its Role in Aging Successfully

Perception of elderly persons on health and its role in aging successfully

Introduction

In the past few decades, there has been increased interest in the health of elderly adults and their role during the aging period, especially for those aged 65 years and above (Shiraz, Hildon & Vrijhoef, 2020; Tkatch et al., 2017). Old age is commonly associated with several health conditions and chronic diseases that affect an older adult's wellbeing and require diversion of resources that could have been otherwise used in the ailing older adult. In the effort to combat elderly ill-health and the common health conditions related to old-age, e.g., dementia, there has been increased intervention and programs designed to prevent or mitigate the advanced effects of these conditions. Despite this effort, they are all bound to futility if the older adults do not consider health as a major issue towards successful aging.

Statement of the problem

Health is a crucial issue for humans, and it becomes even more critical at old age, as there are numerous health conditions that face the elderly by being old. Most of these health conditions, e.g., dementia, depression, diabetes, back and neck pain, and osteoarthritis, are related mainly to the lifestyle an elderly person is leading, with the main concerns being inactivity and poor nutrition (Rudnicka et al., 2020). Consequently, several initiatives have been developed, some based on evidence-based practices and thus deliver effective results. However, despite how effective these interventions are, they will remain irrelevant as long as the elderly do not consider health a major issue for their successful aging (Tkatch et al., 2017). There is limited research on the perceptions of the elderly on the importance and role of health in ensuring they have a successful old-age.

Purpose statement

Therefore, the purpose of this research is to determine the perception of the elderly in the importance of health in ensuring they enjoy their old age. Numerous initiatives have been developed to mitigate health conditions related to old age, but numerous persons are still struggling with the same conditions (Shrestha et al., 2020; Zhong, Lin & Yang, 2020). This can only mean that they do not regard health as critical for successful aging or there are challenges or/and hindrances to their participation in health promotion practices. Therefore, this qualitative research study seeks to establish how the elderly think about health and any challenges towards undertaking in or/and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Significance of the research

The descriptions of older adults' perceptions across a spectrum of health will be established through the findings of the current research. These perceptions will be useful in influencing programs to support health promotion and maintenance. This approach is essential as it moves beyond the clinical model of health and provides a holistic based insight into older adults' determinants of health and their health needs during old-age (Tkatch et al., 2017). This qualitative viewpoint will provide invaluable perspectives on what the elderly might need from health care providers, healthcare professionals, their resources, families, and the community to consider themselves as aging successfully.

Research questions

In the effort to complete this research, two research questions will be considered;

i. What are the perceptions of the elderly on the importance of good health as a key factor for successful aging?

ii. What challenges prevent or affect effective participation in common health-promotion practices, e.g., walking, meeting peers, and healthy eating?

Review of "A qualitative study to examine older adults' perceptions of health: Keys to aging successfully" by Tkatch et al. 2017

This research utilized an exploratory qualitative research design that used interviews as the method of data collection. The research was conducted in phases, and the first phase was conducting interviews with older adult individuals. This research design and instrument will be relevant for the current research. A qualitative research design is considered appropriate for this research based on the research objective – evaluation of perceptions (Al-Banna, 2018). Because perceptions and attitudes might change, an interview that utilizes open-ended questions is considered the best for determining the research questions.

The research target population was older adult persons with AARP Medicare Supplements Plans insured by UnitedHealthcare Insurance company. The reference population was residents of New York and insured by the UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York. This plan is accessible in all 50 states in the United States and the various US territories. The study sample had been selected through purposive sampling to ensure balance across gender and clinical health status. The Hierarchal Condition Category risk scores were used to selected study participants (Tkatch et al., 2017). A total of 32 participants ended up making up the study sample. While the proposed study targets the older adult population aged 65 years and above, the sample will include diverse individuals. With the review study included persons with insurance cover, the current proposed study will include all persons as the lack of insurance might be one factor that affects the perception of health. Due to limited resources and time, the proposed study will only target elderly persons within a neighborhood. The home-setting will be selected to increase diversity compared to elderly homecare or hospital settings where an established schedule might promote a healthy lifestyle.

Data collection was done through a third party – a marketing company. A moderator interviewed the marketing company in a neutral room in the target elderly facility. Semi-structured questions guided the interview, and each lasted for about 60 minutes. The New England Institutional Review Board approved the methodology of this research. The collected data was coded and analyzed through thematic analysis. This section of the research will be similar to the proposed research. However, the interviews will be conducted by the Principal Researcher (PR). First, given the limited resource for the proposed research, it will not be possible to hire a third party. Secondly, to ensure the relevancy of the collected data, the PR will be significant (McNutt et al., 2018). Data for the proposed research will also be analyzed through thematic analysis. The trustworthiness of the research was established through the presentation of interviews' direct responses.

Review of "Exploring the Perceptions of the Ageing Experience in Singaporean Older Adults: a Qualitative Study" by Shiraz et al. 2020

Similar to the article reviewed above, this research by Shiraz, Hildon & Vrijhoef (2020) utilized an exploratory qualitative research design with interviews as the data collection tool. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with an ethnically diverse group of old adults in Singapore. This points to the significance of this research design and interview for the research topic.

The target population was older adults aged 65 years and above in Singapore. This research the second phase of a multi-phase study that utilized mixed methods. The study sought to include hard to reach older adults as part of the Community for Successful Ageing (ComSA) program in Singapore. Sampling for the research was done through the purposive maximum variation sampling method—sample members were participants of the first phase of the study.

Data was collected through semi-structured interviews done through emails or by door-to-door. Interviews were conducted in the homes of the participants. The research team consisted of one gerontology-trained research assistant, two senior postgraduate research fellows, and one senior assistant professor. Each interview lasted one and half hours. The National University approved the method of the Singapore Institute review board. The collected data was coded then analyzed through thematic analysis. This methodology is similar to the data collection method of the proposed research.

Trustworthiness in qualitative research

Various methods are used to establish trustworthiness in qualitative research and some are evident in the reviewed articles above. The first is credibility. Credibility in the reviewed article was achieved through persistent interactions with the research subjects. Both interviews were multi-phase, which means, and several participants were used. The second is transferability. In these researches, transferability was achieved through purposive sampling. Although it is a nonprobability sampling method, it ensured that the sample maximized specific data relative to the target population, and both types of research maximized diversity. The third is dependability. In these researches, dependability has been realized through having a data set that is thick and rich – contains sufficient details and contextual information. The last is confirmability. Both of the reviewed researches can be replicated.