Moments of Apprehension in the Midst of a Certainty: Some Frail Older Widows' Lives with a Personal Emergency Response System

Abstract

The author's aim is to describe older frail widows' experience of having a personal emergency response system (PERS). Over 3 years, she interviewed 8 frail widows during a study of the home care experience using a phenomenological method to describe the context and the phenomena of the experience. “Being certain that I can get help here quickly” was a context for the phenomena of “deciding whom to put on my list (of first responders)” and “keeping the connection intact.” However, the women also experienced apprehension. Being shocked by unexpected voices and visits was a context for “figuring out why a stranger is talking in my house” and “finding that they show up to check on me.” The findings are a basis for considering the potential influences of having a PERS on elders' well-being.