A qualitative analysis of factors related to late life independence as related by the old-old and viewed through the concept of locus of control.pdfVIP

Journal of Aging Studies 16 (2002) 73–86 A qualitative analysis of factors related to late life independence as related by the old-old and viewed through the concept of locus of control a,* a a,1 Carolyn S. Wilken , Katey Walker , Jonathan G. Sandberg , Carol Ann Holcombb aFamily Studies and Human Services, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA bHuman Nutrition, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA Abstract The purpose of this research was to better understand what factors a sample of independent living oldest-old people believed contributed to their late-life independence. Participants selected from a list of Medicare recipients were interviewed in their homes and asked to identify factors that they felt were responsible for their ability to remain independent in late-life. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. Locus of control emerged as a useful conceptual framework for describing the data. Five styles of locus of control were identified. The fifth style, Integrative Locus of Control, suggested that the oldest- old may integrate multiple styles of internal and external locus of control. Family members and service providers can encourage independence by respecting the oldest-olds’ abilities to make decisions, solve problems, and resolve conflicts, while concurrently acknowledging and providing for their identified needs. D 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Oldest-old; Locus of control 1. Introduction They have lived more than 85 years. Some call them the old-old (Johnson Barer, 1997); others describe them