Independence and Dependence for Older Adults with Osteoarthritis or Osteoporosis

Abstract

This study uses qualitative methods to explore subjective perceptions of independence and dependence for older adults with chronic musculoskeletal conditions. Twenty-seven in-depth interviews were conducted with community-dwelling older adults with osteoarthritis and/or osteoporosis in the greater Metropolitan Toronto area. Respondents shared similar overall perceptions of independence and dependence, but self-definitions as independent were related to domains of difficulty, coping skills used, assistive devices, and nature of the helping relationship. Three categories of respondents based on domains of difficulty (Community Mobility, Household Activities, and Personal Care) are used to illustrate how respondents negotiate their self-identities as independent in light of the other three factors.

Adaptation to disability in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: neglected relationships to older adults' perceptions of independence

“…Therefore, perceptions of independence cannot be explained by disability alone. Domain-specific results suggest that perceptions of independence in older adults with COPD are highly malleable, and are not linearly related to degree of disability but depend on the nature of the activity, the type of strategies people use to manage their difficulties 27 and their sense of confidence in their own abilities to control shortness of breath.…”

“…The surprising failure to find a significant relationship in any of the other domains supports the view that researchers and clinicians should avoid measuring independence in terms of amount of help received from others or amount of health services used. 27 The diversity of domain-specific results suggests that older adults with COPD do not weight all domains of activity equally. 27 For example, perceptions of independence seem to be particularly vulnerable in personal care.…”

“…27 The diversity of domain-specific results suggests that older adults with COPD do not weight all domains of activity equally. 27 For example, perceptions of independence seem to be particularly vulnerable in personal care. In this domain, those with greater disability, and those who used a greater number of optimization or help from others strategies were significantly less likely to feel very/extremely independent.…”

“…By making assistance in personal care a prerequisite for receiving household services, we may actually undermine older adults' sense of independence. 27 Study limitations. There are several factors that limit generalizability of this study's results and should be addressed in future research.…”

“What do you expect? You're just getting older”: A comparison of perceived osteoarthritis‐related and aging‐related health experiences in middle‐ and older‐age adults

“…OA is the most common type of arthritis and is a leading cause of pain, physical disability, and health care service use (1)(2)(3)(4). Studies have examined the biographical disruption that arises as a result of the disease (5,6), reactivity to stress (7), coping efforts to minimize the impact of OA (8 -14), social support (15)(16)(17)(18)(19), the role of personality and individual differences in OA outcomes (20 -23), and factors affecting decision making and expectations for treatment, especially hip and knee arthroplasty (24 -30).…”