Actions Taken by Frail Older Widows to Allow Home Care Providers Access to Their Homes

Abstract

Nurses have been advised to encourage older persons to keep their doors locked, but there is little guidance about how home care providers should best gain access to the homes of clients. During a descriptive phenomenological study of the experience of home care ( N = 25), 9 frail older women explained their strategies for allowing providers access to their homes. Women who typically left their doors open for their own reasons were not uncomfortable leaving the door open when a provider was expected. However, women who left the door unlocked at the request of a provider expressed misgivings about doing so. Older women need personalized counseling about ensuring access to care providers while maximizing safety. For practical, ethical, and legal reasons, home care providers who ask older women to leave their doors open should reconsider that strategy.