Older adult's experiences of navigating healthcare whilst living with multimorbidity

Ginman, Helen and Sitch, Matthew ORCID: 0000-0001-6521-7102 (2024) Older adult's experiences of navigating healthcare whilst living with multimorbidity. Psychology and Health. doi:10.1080/08870446.2024.2339327 (In Press)

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Abstract

Objective: The way older adults navigate their healthcare is critical to supporting positive health outcomes. However, navigating healthcare with multimorbidity is typically disjointed due to complexities in treatment, management, and service provision. This study sought to examine how older patients navigate healthcare whilst living with multimorbidity. Methods and measures: Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with five older adults, aged 65 or older, living with multimorbidity in residential care in England. An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis was undertaken. Results: Overall, participants experienced navigating healthcare whilst living with multimorbidity as challenging. Group Experiential Themes included 'Health knowledge and understanding', 'Relationships and expectations' and 'Navigating health care with a single lens'. Collectively these themes represented narratives involving how having limited understanding of health conditions, experiencing challenges in communication with health professionals, and receiving segmented care in a health care system driven by a single condition focus interfered with navigation. Conclusion: These findings highlight experiences of older adults living with multimorbidity navigating healthcare and illustrate several ways older adults living with multimorbidity may be supported to navigate services with less challenges. The research also promotes the need for future research in this area.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Multimorbidity; Older adults; Healthcare navigation
Subjects:	R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Education and Science
Research Priority Areas:	Health, Life Sciences, Sport and Wellbeing
Depositing User:	Charlotte Crutchlow
Date Deposited:	07 May 2024 13:29
Last Modified:	14 May 2024 10:00
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/14051

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