Exploring the impact of a community hospital closure on older adults: a focus group study.
The closing of hospitals has exacerbated challenges for older adults in accessing healthcare, especially those living in economically underserved settings. Through focus groups and a community-engaged approach, our study examined and documented the emergent health needs of older adults following the closing of a local hospital in an economically disadvantaged community. Focus groups were reconvened to assess progress and health needs over time. Analyses of the focus groups (n=37, mean age 77, 84% female) illustrated the impact of the closure and the emergence of the following dominant themes: perceptions of the hospital system, including feelings of abandonment and social isolation; transportation challenges in accessing health care resources; and lack of knowledge and literacy regarding available health care and obtaining health services. Discussion sessions with hospital administrators and participants afforded an opportunity for sharing data and additional assessment. The data and relationships developed with community participants and health system representatives resulted in the production of an information resource about access to health services, tailored for older adults.
School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Electronic address: malamoc@gmail.com.
Malamo
M
Countouris
UPMC Staying at Home Program, Aging Institute of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and the University of Pittsburgh, 3600 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
Sandra
S
Gilmore
Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3518 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. Electronic address: may24@pitt.edu.
Michael
M
Yonas
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006271:Health Facility Closure; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D010414:Pennsylvania; D036301:Qualitative Research
Access to care; Elderly health; Health disparities; Health literacy; Hospital closure; Qualitative study