title: Homebound older adults' experiences with the Internet and e-mail.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore homebound older adults' experiences with the Internet and e-mail employing the Dutch phenomenological approach. A sample of 5 homebound older adults was included. All participants were interviewed twice. Data were analyzed employing the technique recommended by Dutch phenomenologists. The analysis resulted in a total of 10 shared themes and a thick description of the homebound older adults' experiences with the Internet and e-mail. The findings indicated that all participants were faced with various challenges in learning the Internet and e-mail. Those difficulties, however, were overcome by continuous practice and support from various sources. Ultimately they found that the Internet and e-mail were excellent sources of support and enjoyment, resulting in an improved quality of life.
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland School of Nursing, 655 W Lombard St, Suite 375, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. enahm@umaryland.edu
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Nahm
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Resnick
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D015142:Baltimore; D003195:Computer Communication Networks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003200:Computer User Training; D003625:Data Collection; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000523:psychology*; D018577:Homebound Persons / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires