Elderly Occupational Therapy
Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2007; 14: 173 Á182
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Elderly persons’ expectations of day-care rehabilitation
´ ANITA TOLLEN, CARIN FREDRIKSSON & KITTY KAMWENDO
¨ Department of Health Sciences, Orebro University, Sweden
Abstract The aim of this study was to explore elderly persons’ conceptions of what they expected to gain from attending day-care rehabilitation centres (DCR). A purposeful sampling procedure was employed. Interviews with 22 prospective elderly daycare patients were carried out and analysed according to a phenomenographic approach. The analysis yielded eight categories. Two categories, Social contact and Exercise , described what the elderly persons expected to encounter. The remaining categories, A change from the monotony of everyday life , An opportunity to be yourself , A balm for the body, A safety net , A mastery of everyday activities , and An energizing spark , described the meanings of the encounters. Two categories were attributed to the elderly persons’ physical presence at the centre and the gains were expected to end when the programme ended. In three categories the expected improvements were projected into the future and were expected to last. The findings imply that follow-up home visits and suggestions for alternative social activities in order to provide stimulation and social equality would be a valuable complement to the DCR programme. Rehabilitation personnel need to consider the ambivalent view on assistive devices as well as the elderly person’s need for continuity when setting goals and planning individual programmes.
Key words: Community-based adult care, disability, qualitative research, phenomenography
Introduction In Sweden, as in other countries, many elderly persons with disabilities live in their own homes rather than institutions. In 2004, 98% of all elderly Swedish persons between 65 and 79 years and 83% of all persons 80 years and over lived in ordinary housing (1). It
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Elderly persons’ expectations of day-care rehabilitation
´ ANITA TOLLEN, CARIN FREDRIKSSON & KITTY KAMWENDO
¨ Department of Health Sciences, Orebro University, Sweden
Abstract The aim of this study was to explore elderly persons’ conceptions of what they expected to gain from attending day-care rehabilitation centres (DCR). A purposeful sampling procedure was employed. Interviews with 22 prospective elderly daycare patients were carried out and analysed according to a phenomenographic approach. The analysis yielded eight categories. Two categories, Social contact and Exercise , described what the elderly persons expected to encounter. The remaining categories, A change from the monotony of everyday life , An opportunity to be yourself , A balm for the body, A safety net , A mastery of everyday activities , and An energizing spark , described the meanings of the encounters. Two categories were attributed to the elderly persons’ physical presence at the centre and the gains were expected to end when the programme ended. In three categories the expected improvements were projected into the future and were expected to last. The findings imply that follow-up home visits and suggestions for alternative social activities in order to provide stimulation and social equality would be a valuable complement to the DCR programme. Rehabilitation personnel need to consider the ambivalent view on assistive devices as well as the elderly person’s need for continuity when setting goals and planning individual programmes.
Key words: Community-based adult care, disability, qualitative research, phenomenography
Introduction In Sweden, as in other countries, many elderly persons with disabilities live in their own homes rather than institutions. In 2004, 98% of all elderly Swedish persons between 65 and 79 years and 83% of all persons 80 years and over lived in ordinary housing (1). It