Coping with ageing in rural Australia

• Published in: The Australian journal of rural health Vol. 28; no. 5; pp. 469 - 479
• Main Authors: Anderson, Emily M., Larkins, Sarah, Beaney, Sarah, Ray, Robin A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Richmond Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.10.2020
• Subjects: Adults; ageing; Aging; Australia; Coping; Coping strategies; Emotions; family care; Nursing; Older people; Qualitative research; Research design; rural; Rural areas; Rural communities; Social interactions; Social networks; Social organization; Social support; Uncertainty; Australia
• ISSN: 1038-5282; 1440-1584
• DOI: 10.1111/ajr.12647

Objective Ageing is a time of change that might involve financial, health and social losses. To maintain well‐being, older people need to engage a range of resources to cope with these losses. However, national policies mainly focus on financial resources. This study used Folkman and Lazarus’s transactional theory to identify coping methods engaged by older adults living in three rural communities. Design A qualitative research design was undertaken using an ethnographic case study approach. Setting Three rural communities within northern Australia. Participants Older Australians aged 65 or over, living in their own homes. Main outcome measures Exploration of techniques that older adults use to cope with ageing (including both problem‐focused and emotion‐focused strategies). Results People in rural areas planned their ageing journey using both problem‐focused and emotion‐focused coping strategies, to deal with the uncertainties of ageing. When participants could control the event, problem‐focused coping strategies were mainly such as used seeking social support and planful problem‐solving. Conversely, emotion‐focused strategies were used to deal with uncertainty and emotive issues such as health decline, and the possibility of needing future care. Conclusion There is a need for health community workers to encourage older people to consider initiating a discussion of future care needs with their social network. This is of particular importance in rural areas, which have larger numbers of older residents and limited resources to support ageing in place.