Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.4040/jkan.2017.47.4.562

Experience of Frailty in Korean Elderly: A Phenomenological Study Utilizing the Colaizzi Method  

Park, Jin Kyoung (College of Nursing, Incheon Catholic University)
Publication Information
Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing / v.47, no.4, 2017 , pp. 562-574 More about this Journal
Abstract
Purpose: This study attempts to explore the subjective experience of frailty among elderly individuals in Korea. Methods: From June to August in 2014, 11 elderly persons who had experienced frailty in a community were interviewed. For data analysis, the method suggested by Colaizzi was applied as a phenomenological method. Results: According to the analysis, the study participants' frailty process was structured in seven categories: (a) 'natural phenomenon with ageing,' (b) 'life force comes to an end,' (c) 'the light in my heart turns off,' (d) 'unavoidable situation,' (e) 'continuous and connected vicious cycle,' (f) 'the limit of recovery energy already passes,' and (g) 'life is supported by someone's help.' Conclusion: The frailty experience in the participants is a natural process of aging, which cause vicious cycle acting with each other among physical, psychological, and social health. It is said that the cycle of frailty was started from weight loss and insufficient sleep, and boostered by pain. The participants from repetition of the vicious cycle become exhausted and pass the threshold of their recovery energy at some points. If they meet with sudden accidents such as falling, traffic accident and so on, they become to live a dependent life supported by someone's help in a moment. To prevent frailty and worsening conditions in Korean elderly individuals, it is recommended to provide a interventional programs using this study's results.
Keywords
Frail elderly; Aging; Qualitative research;
Citations & Related Records
Times Cited By KSCI : 1  (Citation Analysis)
연도 인용수 순위
1 Artaza-Artabe I, Saez-Lopez P, Sanchez-Hernandez N, Fernandez-Gutierrez N, Malafarina V. The relationship between nutrition and frailty: effects of protein intake, nutritional supplementation, vitamin D and exercise on muscle metabolism in the elderly. A systematic review. Maturitas. 2016;93:89-99. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2016.04.009   DOI
2 Walston J, McBurnie MA, Newman A, Tracy RP, Kop WJ, Hirsch CH, et al. Frailty and activation of the inflammation and coagulation systems with and without clinical comorbidities: results from the Cardiovascular Health Study. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2002;162(20):2333-2341. http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinte.162.20.2333   DOI
3 Newman BM, Newman PR. Development through life: a psychosocial approach. California: Brooks Cole Publishing Company; 1991. p. 513-551.
4 Park BJ, Lee YJ. Integrative approach to elderly frailty. Korean Journal of Family Medicine. 2010;31(10):747-754. http://dx.doi.org/10.4082/kjfm.2010.31.10.747   DOI
5 Fried LP, Ferrucci L, Darer J, Williamson JD, Anderson G. Untangling the concepts of disability, frailty, and comorbidity: implications for improved targeting and care. The Journals of Gerontology Series A Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. 2004;59(3):255-263. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/gerona/59.3.M255   DOI
6 Winograd CH, Gerety MB, Chung M, Goldstein MK, Dominguez F Jr, Vallone R. Screening for frailty: criteria and predictors of outcomes. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 1991;39(8):778-784. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.1991.tb02700.x   DOI
7 Fried LP, Walston J. Frailty and failure to thrive. In: Hazzard WR, Blass JP, Ettinger WH Jr, Haler JB, Ouslander J, editors. Principles of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology. 4th ed. New York: McGraw Hill; 1998. p. 309-319.
8 Morley JE, Vellas B, van Kan GA, Anker SD, Bauer JM, Bernabei R, et al. Frailty consensus: a call to action. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 2013;14(6):392-397. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2013.03.022   DOI
9 Ahmed N, Mandel R, Fain MJ. Frailty: an emerging geriatric syndrome. The American Journal of Medicine. 2007;120(9):748-753. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2006.10.018   DOI
10 Fulop T, Larbi A, Witkowski JM, McElhaney J, Loeb M, Mitnitski A, et al. Aging, frailty and age-related diseases. Biogerontology. 2010;11(5):547-563. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10522-010-9287-2   DOI
11 Kojima G. Frailty as a predictor of disabilities among community-dwelling older people: a systematic review and metaanalysis. Disability & Rehabilitation. 2017;39(19):1897-1908. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2016.1212282   DOI
12 Kim CO, Lee HY, Ho SH, Park HS, Park CW. Effects of visiting prehabilitation program against functional decline in the frail elderly: a prospective randomized community trial. Journal of the Korea Gerontological Society. 2010;30(4):1293-1309.
13 Ensrud KE, Ewing SK, Taylor BC, Fink HA, Stone KL, Cauley JA, et al. Frailty and risk of falls, fracture, and mortality in older women: the study of osteoporotic fractures. The Journals of Gerontology Series A Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. 2007;62(7):744-751. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/gerona/62.7.744   DOI
14 McKenzie K, Ouellette-Kuntz H, Martin L. Frailty as a predictor of institutionalization among adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities. 2016;54(2):123-135. http://dx.doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-54.2.123   DOI
15 Kim HY. Physical functions, health-related quality of life and ego-integrity of the frail and non-frail elderly in a local community [master's thesis]. Daegu: Keimyung University; 2009. p. 1-65.
16 Strawbridge WJ, Shema SJ, Balfour JL, Higby HR, Kaplan GA. Antecedents of frailty over three decades in an older cohort. The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. 1998;53(1):S9-S16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/geronb/53B.1.S9   DOI
17 Verbrugge LM, Jette AM. The disablement process. Social Science & Medicine. 1994;38(1):1-14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(94)90294-1   DOI
18 Sok SH, Kim KB. A comparative study of depression and quality of life in Korean elderly women based on the Sasangin constitution. Journal of East-West Nursing Research. 2010;16(2):138-146.
19 Campbell AJ, Buchner DM. Unstable disability and the fluctuations of frailty. Age and Ageing. 1997;26(4):315-318. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ageing/26.4.315   DOI
20 Morley JE, Haren MT, Rolland Y, Kim MJ. Frailty. Medical Clinics of North America. 2006;90(5):837-847. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mcna.2006.05.019   DOI
21 Veronese N, Stubbs B, Noale M, Solmi M, Pilotto A, Vaona A, et al. Polypharmacy is associated with higher frailty risk in older people: an 8-year longitudinal cohort study. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 2017;18(7):624-628. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2017.02.009   DOI
22 St John PD, Tyas SL, Montgomery PR. Depressive symptoms and frailty. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 2013;28(6):607-614. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/gps.3866   DOI
23 Mezuk B, Edwards L, Lohman M, Choi M, Lapane K. Depression and frailty in later life: a synthetic review. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 2012;27(9):879-892. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/gps.2807   DOI
24 Boyle PA, Buchman AS, Wilson RS, Leurgans SE, Bennett DA. Physical frailty is associated with incident mild cognitive impairment in community-based older persons. Journal of American Geriatrics Society. 2010;58(2):248-255. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2009.02671.x   DOI
25 Lawrence RH, Jette AM. Disentangling the disablement process. The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. 1996;51(4):S173-S182. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/geronb/51b.4.s173   DOI
26 Won CW, Rho YG, SunWoo D, Lee YS. The validity and reliability of Korean instrumental activities of daily living(K-IADL) scale. Journal of Korean Geriatrics Society. 2002;6(4):273-280.
27 Sun WD, Song HJ, Lee YH, Kim DJ. Study on development of health care services and coordinated system for frail elderly people. Seoul: Institute for Health and Social Affairs; 2004. p. 47-57.
28 Collard RM, Boter H, Schoevers RA, Oude Voshaar RC. Prevalence of frailty in community-dwelling older persons: a systematic review. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2012;60(8):1487-1492. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2012.04054.x   DOI
29 Kaufman SR. The social construction of frailty: an anthropological perspective. Journal of Aging Studies. 1994;8(1):45-58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0890-4065(94)90018-3   DOI
30 Ministry of Health & Welfare. Guidance of home visiting health care services in 2012. Sejong: Ministry of Health & Welfare; 2012. p.77-83.
31 Colaizzi PF. Psychological research as the phenomenologist views it. In: Valle RS, Kings M, editors. Existential-Phenomenological Alternative for Psychology. New York: Oxford University Press; 1978. p. 48-71.
32 Guba EG, Lincoln YS. Effective evaluation. 4th ed. San Francisco: Jossey & Bass Publication; 1985. p. 1-423.
33 Yeom JH. A comparison study of Self-Rated Health (SRH) trajectory between urban and rural older adults: using latent growth modeling. The Journal of Rural Society. 2013;23(1):193-239.