A qualitative systematic review on the experiences of self management in community-dwelling older women living with chronic illnesses

© 2010, Joanna Briggs Institute. All rights reserved. Objectives The aim of this review is to critically appraise, synthesize and present the best available evidence related to the experiences of self-management among communitydwelling older women with chronic illnesses, specifically non-communicable illnesses which include cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes mellitus (DM) and arthritis. Questions • What does living with chronic illnesses mean to community-dwelling older women? • What self-management strategies do community dwelling older women with chronic illnesses use? • What issues do community-dwelling older women with chronic illnesses face in self-management? • What feelings do community-dwelling older women with chronic illnesses have about self-management? Inclusion criteria Types of participants The review will consider publications that include all older women who have the following characteristics: • Age sixty-five years and above (with no limitations to any specific age groups within this population) • Live in their own community dwelling • Community setting is rural, suburban or urban • May live alone or with others (i.e. families) • Have non-cancer chronic illnesses, which include the following four common chronic diseases: cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes mellitus (DM) and arthritis. The rationale for excluding cancer as a chronic illness is to draw focus on the experience of living with non-cancer chronic illnesses, which likely present challenges different from cancer. • Have chronic illnesses for a minimum duration of one year Phenomenon of interest The review will consider studies that investigate the experiences of self-management among community-dwelling older women with chronic illnesses.