Frail community-dwelling older persons' everyday lives and their experiences of rehabilitation - a qualitative study

Background The number of older persons with frailty is increasing, and rehabilitation to improve the consequences of frailty are important for both the individual and society. However, the perspective of older persons themselves in research and planning of interventions is scarce. Aim The aim of this study was to describe frail older persons' everyday lives and their experiences and views of rehabilitation. Material and methods Twenty older persons were interviewed, and analyses were performed using a qualitative content analysis method. Results The two main categories were 'Frailty impacts everyday life and 'Experiences and perceptions of rehabilitation'. The participants described that they had to adapt their everyday lives in line with their health conditions. They all used strategies and were dependent on support in their activities of daily living. Their social network had decreased. All participants strived to stay active and independent, and wanted rehabilitation and support from professionals, experiencing decreased access to rehabilitation. Conclusions and significance Frail older persons are a vulnerable group who often need support in everyday life. There is room for improvement when it comes to helping frail older persons to stay active and facilitate participation in both individual and group interventions.