Aging & Society: Eighth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

There is much we do not understand about the struggles rural elders face when it comes to remaining independent. Accounting for the elder point of view and context are essential in evaluating and improving services directed to keep elders independent and at home. Few studies have examined the elder perspective on what they see as obstacles and facilitators to aging in place. The driving research question is: How do Tribal Elders perceive barriers and facilitators to health in their community? Photovoice allows the opportunity to capture the elder point of view on health in their community by using photographs paired with narrative to frame the salient issues. Participants were provided cameras and prompts to facilitate their photography. Follow up interviews were conducted to gather qualitative data to match the photos taken keeping the narrative in the elder’s voice. This study is a qualitative, participatory research project examining the obstacles and facilitators to elders’ health while living in their homes. The elders told their stories that create three primary categories of narrative: safety (environmental events, changing home needs, and victimization), comfort (family nearby, pets, home updates to ease mobility), and support (home visits form providers, assistance with bills, activity facilitation). Photovoice is an effective tool to give voice to the elders to drive the narrative. The perspectives provided brought a nuanced understanding of the plight of many elders that live in under resourced environments.