Elderly women's narratives of falling, fear of falling, the role of physical activity and their impact on autonomy and quality of life.

The focus of this thesis was on aging women residing in a nursing home and their lived experiences in relation to falls. The study examined the issue of falling and its impact on the women's autonomy and quality of life. In addition, the issue of physical activity experienced in their younger years and currently, was explored in relation to falling and fear of falling. A qualitative methodology was used and individual interviews were conducted among 10 elderly women (79 to 95 years old) residing in a nursing home in the Ottawa region. Most of the women entered the nursing home for reasons of solitude, or not wanting to burden their children with their care, or because of injuries sustained from a fall. The results showed that the majority of the women were forced to change many of their previous life patterns as a result of a fall and its consequences. Their falls all resulted in injuries, often traumatic experiences, and left most of the women with feelings of helplessness, annoyance and frustration. Fear of falling again was a feeling shared by most of the women in this study and this fear made them careful with their movements in the nursing home. As a result, they relied quite heavily on the use of assistive devices for mobility within their environment. Most of the women did not pursue many physical activities for pleasure purposes when they were younger. Their activity came from working around the home and the farm as well as walking to destinations. Within the nursing home environment, the majority of the women did not participate in the physical activity programs offered and found it difficult to imagine what could draw them into physical activity, given their advanced age and fear of falling again