Home-dwelling older adults’ experiences of living with both frailty and multimorbidity: A meta-ethnography

Abstract

Objectives: To systematically review qualitative studies about home-dwelling older adults’ experiences of living with both frailty and multimorbidity. Methods: This study adopted a meta-ethnography; the databases included PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar. Qualitative peer-reviewed articles in English were searched up to December 31, 2021. Themes and concepts were extracted through constant comparison across the included studies by three reviewers. Results: Of the 147 articles screened, nine qualitative articles, encompassing a total sample of 173 participants, were included. The four final synthesised themes were ‘Being isolated in a closed life,’ ‘Being dependent on help from others,’ ‘Rebuilding to maximise quality of life,’ and ‘Struggling to live a meaningful life.’ Conclusion: Home-dwelling older adults with both frailty and multimorbidity are more likely to be socially isolated due to their physical limitations and lack of integration between hospital-based care and community healthcare services. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.