Older Women's Perceptions of Independence Versus Dependence in Food‐Related Work

Abstract

This qualitative study aims to explore the cultural meaning of accomplishing food-related work by older women, when disease has diminished their abilities and threatens to make them dependent. Seventy-two women with stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, and Parkinson's disease, as well as women without those diseases, were interviewed. All were living at home. Results showed that older women valued independence and feared dependence when declining ability threatened performance of food-related work. They also had strong beliefs about living a "normal life," managing by oneself as long as possible, and becoming their own masters again. To remain independent, participants used three kinds of strategies: Public Health Service Support, self-managing, and adaptation. Their beliefs about dependence included not becoming a burden, retaining self-determination, and maintaining order in life. Implications for nursing include supporting independent cooking, developing care plans with the care recipient, and demonstrating respect for the women's self-determination.

Eating Difficulties, Nutrition, Meal Preferences and Experiences Among Elderly A Literature Overview From a Scandinavian Context

“…People with eating difficulties often experience feelings of guilt, shame and disappointments (Jacobsson et al, 2000;Carlsson, Ehrenberg, & Ehnfors, 2004;Fjellström, 2009; eating difficulties described feelings of anxiety and panic during meals and avoided eating with others. Problems with slow eating speed as a result of eating difficulties are also described (Andersson & Sidenvall, 2001;Gustafsson et al, 2003;. Large portions of food often became cold before the meal was completed.…”

“…Foods that are documented as problematic for persons with motoric eating difficulties include bread in loaves that has to be cut and buttered (Andersson & Sidenvall, 2001) as well as the presence of peel or seeds, and hard and fibrous textures in vegetables, which resulted in difficulties with regard to their preparation (Roininen, Fillion, Kilcast, & Lähteenmäki, 2004). At least two studies have shown that milk may be an important food item to compensate for insufficient energy intake, as it can be conveniently consumed at any time and is indeed commonly used by disabled women (Andersson, Nydahl, Gustafsson, Sidenvall, & Fjellström, 2003;. Impaired arm mobility may have a negative impact on the intakes of protein and energy (McLaren & Dickerson, 2000) and, as described above, motoric eating difficulties may be part of a multifaceted explanation for weight loss in Parkinson patients (Lorefält, Ganowiak, et al, 2006;.…”

“…Large portions of food often became cold before the meal was completed. To avoid this, smaller portions were an alternative, with the risk of malnutrition as a consequence (Gustafsson et al, 2003). Social and cultural norms surrounding the meal may be perceived as an obstacle to eating with others in a social context (Jacobsson et al, 2000).…”

A Declaration of Healthy Dependence: The Case of Home Care

“…In this particular case, interviewees expressed a wish to be independent towards society as well as towards their relatives (Gustafsson et al, 2003). However, even if many people may share the wish to maintain order in life without assistance from relatives, this must not be equated with a wish for independence.…”

Demanda assistencial de pessoas idosas residentes no município de São Paulo: necessidade de cuidado e ultilização dos serviços de saúde

“…A independência para preparar refeição e situação alimentar, foi muito valorizado entre mulheres mais velhas (Sidenvall, Nydahl, Fjellström, 2001;Gustafsson et al, 2003). Entre idosos com mobilidade física comprometida observou a influência importante sobre a realização de compras e preparação de refeições, que por sua vez, resultaram no baixo consumo de refeições quentes levando a ingesta alimentar insuficiente (Wylie, Copeman, Kirk, 1999).…”