The Impact of Falling and Fear of Falling on Elderly Residing in Homes in Saudi Arabia by Using Grounded Theory

URI / Handle

Falls, a global health concern, lead to morbidity and premature mortality in older people. Falls can lead to many health problems, such as poor quality of life. The Saudi population is ageing, so the percentage of elderly individuals is increasing. This study explored how falls, risk and fear of falling among Saudi elderly residing in community dwellings affect their activities of daily living and feelings of wellbeing. A qualitative method design was employed. This study used the grounded theory approach to assess the impact of falling and fear of falling on the activity of daily living and feelings of the wellbeing of this age group. The study used a sample of 20 elderly individuals with a history of falls while living in a home setting in Saudi Arabia who were contacted while attending orthopedic clinics or the emergency room at Prince Sultan Medical Military City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The original four subthemes that were developed from the data were then characterized by the central emergent theme. The following subthemes were developed: causes, immediate impact, losses, and coping. The main theme that emerged from these categories was “A DIFFERENT LIFE.” The study demonstrated that the elderly in Saudi Arabia experience falls for several reasons. The most obvious factors leading to falls were grouped as primary causes, such as physical impediments. However, there is a set of ancillary causes that do not immediately cause the fall but do play a significant role in falls. These include the state of health and fitness, and the lack of awareness of what causes falls. After experiencing a fall, the elderly are faced with immediate impacts, which can be both physical and emotional. The long-term impacts they faced include changes to their daily routine. Predominant among these long-term impacts was an ongoing fear of falling. The totality of these factors led to a diminished quality of life. This, in turn, led to coping strategies to remediate the losses experienced by the falls. Conclusions drawn from this study indicate that the common factor for all the participants was a permanent change to their lives, which led to the name of the theory: “A DIFFERENT LIFE.”
Details
Title

The Impact of Falling and Fear of Falling on Elderly Residing in Homes in Saudi Arabia by Using Grounded Theory

Contributors

Albraikan, Turki (Author); The Catholic University of America (Degree granting institution); Agazio, Janice (Thesis advisor); Doerflinger, Deirdre (Committee member); Al-Hamidi, Sami (Committee member)

Degree Information

Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Nursing. The Catholic University of America

Extent

161

Note

Nursing; Activity of daily living, Elderly, Fall risk, Falling, Fear of falling, Saudi Arabia

URI / Handle

http://hdl.handle.net/1961/cuislandora:214711

URI / Handle

http://hdl.handle.net/1961/cuislandora:214711

Subject

Activity of daily living; Elderly; Fall risk; Falling; Fear of falling; Saudi Arabia

Created

2020-01-01T00:00:00Z

Issued

2020-01-01T00:00:00Z

Abstract

Falls, a global health concern, lead to morbidity and premature mortality in older people. Falls can lead to many health problems, such as poor quality of life. The Saudi population is ageing, so the percentage of elderly individuals is increasing. This study explored how falls, risk and fear of falling among Saudi elderly residing in community dwellings affect their activities of daily living and feelings of wellbeing. A qualitative method design was employed. This study used the grounded theory approach to assess the impact of falling and fear of falling on the activity of daily living and feelings of the wellbeing of this age group. The study used a sample of 20 elderly individuals with a history of falls while living in a home setting in Saudi Arabia who were contacted while attending orthopedic clinics or the emergency room at Prince Sultan Medical Military City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The original four subthemes that were developed from the data were then characterized by the central emergent theme. The following subthemes were developed: causes, immediate impact, losses, and coping. The main theme that emerged from these categories was “A DIFFERENT LIFE.” The study demonstrated that the elderly in Saudi Arabia experience falls for several reasons. The most obvious factors leading to falls were grouped as primary causes, such as physical impediments. However, there is a set of ancillary causes that do not immediately cause the fall but do play a significant role in falls. These include the state of health and fitness, and the lack of awareness of what causes falls. After experiencing a fall, the elderly are faced with immediate impacts, which can be both physical and emotional. The long-term impacts they faced include changes to their daily routine. Predominant among these long-term impacts was an ongoing fear of falling. The totality of these factors led to a diminished quality of life. This, in turn, led to coping strategies to remediate the losses experienced by the falls. Conclusions drawn from this study indicate that the common factor for all the participants was a permanent change to their lives, which led to the name of the theory: “A DIFFERENT LIFE.”

Type

Dissertation

Local

Albraikan_cua_0043A_11139.pdf

Publisher

The Catholic University of America

Publish Date

2020

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