Circles of care: home care and community support for rural older adults.
Rural dwelling, frail older adults are a vulnerable population owing to the complexity of health problems superimposed upon limited health care resources. Home care facilitates managing complex health needs and is congruent with rural valued independence. An ethnography was conducted to describe rural home care for frail older adults from the perspective of those delivering and receiving services. A major theme identified was "Circles of Care." Grounded in rural culture, the circles assisted the system of formal care to work in harmony with informal care, maintaining independence for vulnerable rural elderly and their families.
Magilvy
J K
JK
School of Nursing, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver.
Congdon
J G
JG
Martinez
R
R
D000368:Aged; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005007:Ethnology; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010351:Patient Discharge; D012423:Rural Health; D012944:Social Support; D014481:United States