Department of Post-Acute and Continuing Care, Jurong Community Hospital, National University Health System, Singapore.
Department of Family Medicine and Continuing Care, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
Singapore Med J. 2020 May;61(5):260-265. doi: 10.11622/smedj.2019104. Epub 2019 Sep 6.
Elderly persons who live alone are more likely to be socially isolated and at increased risk of adverse health outcomes, unnecessary hospital re-admissions and premature mortality. We aimed to understand the health-seeking behaviour of elderly persons living alone in public rental housing in Singapore.
In-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured question guide. Participants were selected using a purposive sampling approach. Interviews were conducted until theme saturation was reached. Qualitative data collected was analysed using manual thematic coding methods.
Data analysis revealed five major themes: accessibility of healthcare services and financial assistance schemes; perceived high cost of care; self-management; self-reliance; and mismatch between perceived needs and services.
Elderly persons living in one-room rental flats are a resilient and resourceful group that values self-reliance and independence. Most of the elderly who live alone develop self-coping mechanisms to meet their healthcare needs rather than seek formal medical consultation. The insightful findings from this study should be taken into consideration when models of healthcare delivery are being reviewed and designed so as to support the disadvantaged elderly living alone.
独居的老年人更容易受到社会孤立的影响，且他们的健康状况不佳、不必要的住院再次入院和过早死亡的风险更高。我们旨在了解新加坡公共出租住房中独居老年人的寻医行为。
采用半结构化问题指南进行深入访谈。参与者采用目的性抽样方法选择。访谈一直持续到主题达到饱和。收集的定性数据使用手动主题编码方法进行分析。
数据分析揭示了五个主要主题：医疗服务和经济援助计划的可及性；认为护理费用高；自我管理；自力更生；以及感知需求与服务之间的不匹配。
居住在一房出租公寓中的老年人是一个有弹性且足智多谋的群体，他们重视自力更生和独立。大多数独居的老年人会发展出自我应对机制来满足他们的医疗保健需求，而不是寻求正式的医疗咨询。这项研究的深入见解在审查和设计医疗服务提供模式时应予以考虑，以支持独居的弱势老年人。
