From fear to faith: older adults’ emergency care journey in rural Turkey
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Guided by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Age-Friendly Health Systems Model, this study explores the emergency department (ED) experiences and treatment adherence of adults aged 65 and older arriving by ambulance at a rural Turkish hospital, in a low-literacy, religious context. METHODS: This qualitative descriptive study used semi-structured interviews and culturally tailored emotion cards with 30 purposively sampled participants (mean age: 71.2, SD = 4.8; 53.3% female; 33% rural, 43% district center, 24% city center). Data were thematically analyzed using MAXQDA 2022, with in vivo and in vitro coding. Reliability was ensured via Cohen’s Kappa (0.90) and transcript verification; validity was supported by maximum variation sampling and data triangulation. The study adhered to the COREQ checklist. FINDINGS: Four themes emerged: ED access journey, treatment and adherence experiences, staff communication dynamics, and age-friendly service perceptions. Participants experienced an emotional arc from fear (88%) during ambulance transport to trust (76.7%) at triage and relief (92%) at discharge, supported by rapid triage, staff empathy, and family support, but challenged by navigational barriers and accessibility issues for disabled participants (23.3%). Cultural idioms (e.g., “I felt intense fear”) and the prayer-bead icon highlighted spiritual coping. Participants perceived rapid triage as enhancing feelings of safety, fostering trust. CONCLUSIONS: Rapid triage and empathetic communication fostered trust and adherence, while navigational and accessibility barriers persisted. Findings advocate for culturally sensitive, age-friendly ED designs, offering scalable tools like emotion cards and triage protocols for rural healthcare equity globally, aligned with SDG 3.
Source: BMC Geriatrics
Authors: Ömer Kelle, Sevda Yaman
Institution: Yozgat Bozok Üniversitesi
Language: English
Subfield: Emergency Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,190
OpenAlex ID: W4417119206