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Identifying older people in need using action research
Author(s) -
MOYER ALWYN,
CORISTINE MARJORIE,
JAMAULT MYRIAM,
ROBERGE GINETTE,
O'HAGAN MARYAN
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of clinical nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1365-2702
pISSN - 0962-1067
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2702.1999.00219.x
Subject(s) - health promotion , social support , gerontology , psychological intervention , promotion (chess) , psychology , public health , population , qualitative research , action (physics) , nursing , medicine , applied psychology , sociology , social psychology , environmental health , political science , social science , physics , quantum mechanics , politics , law
• An ageing population has implications for community‐based health promotion and disease prevention. There is concern about older people who do not fit into existing programmes and services yet need minimal support to maintain independence. • A study was designed to develop approaches to gain access to this hard to reach population, assess needs and design and test interventions to integrate them into the community. • The study, informed by theories of health promotion and social support, used action research methods. Participant observation documented in field notes, together with case notes and clinical assessments, provided a rich source of qualitative and quantitative data. • This article discusses the needs assessment. Over a 3‐year period, public health nurses linked with community groups in a predominantly francophone, urban community to identify the target group. • Key characteristics of the target group included limitations with instrumental activities of daily living and low levels of social support combined with stressful life situations that challenged adaptation. • Three patterns of inadequate support were identified.