Background: the global population is ageing. As older people become more susceptible to frailty, an increase in frailty prevalence is also expected. Although frailty has been defined before in research, older peoples’ perceptions of frailty do not always coincide with those used in research or medical settings. Further exploring community-dwelling older people’s viewpoints regarding frailty is essential for tailored care and policy. Aim: the aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of Dutch community-dwelling older people regarding frailty and its opposing concepts. Methods: a phenomenological qualitative study was conducted for which we carried out semi- structured interviews with independently living older people aged ≥65. Following the interviews, the participants filled out the Tilburg Frailty Indicator. Results: the different domains of frailty: ‘physical’, ‘psychological’, and ‘social’, were recognized by participants. In addition, other aspects, such as financial capacity and digital functioning, have been identified. Four aspects of the meaning of frailty were identified in the category of other frailty definitions: ‘dependency’, ‘frailty as getting hurt’, ‘frailty as prone to deterioration', and ‘frailty as experiences of loss and sacrifice’. Participants also described the opposites of frailty, which could also be distinguished according to the ‘physical’, ‘psychological’, and ‘social’ domains. In addition, participants mentioned the following concepts as opposing frailty: ‘vitality’, ‘resilience’, ‘independence’, ‘autonomy’, and ‘ambition’. Conclusion: we found that frailty and its opposites share similar aspects, including physical, psychological, and social dimensions. Additionally, older people perceived cognition as an essential aspect of frailty. The psychological dimension seemed more dominant in concepts opposed to frailty, which raises opportunities to focus on the positive aspects and build on older people’s (psychological) capabilities in managing frailty and its consequences. Based on these f indings, policymakers and care professionals should consider the perspectives of older people regarding frailty and its opposing concepts.
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PURPOSE: This study investigates self-injury fromthe perspective of patients with anorexia nervosa. DESIGN AND METHODS: A phenomenological design was used. Twelve patients participated. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview guide. FINDINGS: Participants display self-injurious behavior predominantly in situations when they are forced to eat. They are terrified of gaining weight and use selfinjurious behavior to copewith their anxiety. Self-injury is envisioned as a technique to regain control of their own eating pattern without bothering anyone. They feel shame for not controlling their emotions more constructively. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Healthcare professionals should systematically observe signals and explore less harmful strategies that help to regulate overwhelming feelings
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As the population ages, the proportion of frail older people is also increasing. While attention to frailty experiences has increased, how these account to a comprehensive understanding of frailty and its impact on behavior and functioning remains understudied. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to understand how frailty is experienced, and how frailty and frailty experiences affect behavior and functioning from the perspectives of Dutch community-dwelling older people. In this phenomenological qualitative study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 36 community-dwelling older people (≥65 years). The ‘Tilburg Frailty Indicator’ was administered to measure frailty, 15 of the participants were considered frail. Thematic analysis revealed the following themes and subthemes: 1) frailty experiences: situation related, initiated internally, initiated externally, and being and feeling frail; 2) coping: cognitive efforts, behavioral efforts, and emotional aspects. The distinction between being frail and feeling frail was, among other things, reflected in the temporality of frailty experiences, such as short periods of moments in time experiencing frailty. Personal factors and contexts strongly influence an individual's experiences and multiple coping strategies were discovered, with mindset shaping individual coping strategies. We recommend a personalized approach in which the experiences and capabilities of older people are considered to support them in maintaining or enhancing their well-being.
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We had been involved in the redesign of the 4 Period Rooms of the Marquise Palace, also called the Palace of Secrets, in Bergen op Zoom. This design was based on the biography of a historical figure: Marie Anne van Arenberg, whose dramatic life was marked by secrets. Each of the 4 rooms represents a turning moment in Marie Anne’s story: the official marriage, the secret marriage and the betrayal, the dilemma and choice, with, in a final room, the epilogue. These different episodes are reflected in the way the rooms are furnished: the ballroom, the bedroom, the dining room. The Secret Marquise as design and exhibition has brought more visitors to the museum. As designers and researchers, however, we were interested in understanding more about this success, and, in particular, in understanding the visitors experience, both emotionally and sensorially at different moments/situations during the story-driven experience.In the fall of 2021, the visitors’ lived experience was evaluated using different approaches: a quantitative approach using biometric measurements to register people’s emotions during their visit, and a qualitative one consisting of a combination of observations, visual imagery, and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).Qualitatively, our aim was to understand how respondents made sense of Marie Anne’s story in the way in which this was presented throughout the exhibition. We specifically looked at the personal context and frame of reference (e.g., previous experiences, connection to the visitor’s own life story, associations with other stories from other sources). In the design of the rooms, we used a combination of digital/interactive elements (such as a talking portrait, an interactive dinner table, an interactive family painting), and traditional physical objects (some 17th century original objects, some reproductions from that time). The second focal point of the study is to understand how these different elements lead the visitors experience.
