We Have a Long Way to Go: A Case Study Examination of Older Women Veterans’ Experiences in VA Primary Care

Women Veterans are a growing population with complex care needs. While previous research has examined the experiences of women Veterans, little attention has been paid to the specific experiences of older women Veterans. These case studies present the experiences of 2 older women Veterans who have b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Inquiry (Chicago) 2020, Vol.57, p.1-7
Main Authors: Silvestrini, Molly, Nicosia, Francesca, Spar, Malena J., Gibson, Carolyn J., Brown, Rebecca T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Aging
Case reports
Case studies
Clinics
Consent
Delivery of Health Care
Domestic violence
Female
Gender
Health Care Surveys
Health disparities
Health services
Hospitals, Veterans - standards
Humans
Interviews
Interviews as Topic
Mental disorders
Mental Disorders - therapy
Mental health
Military service
Older people
Original Research
Population
Primary care
Primary Health Care - standards
Qualitative Research
Sex crimes
Sex Factors
Trauma
United States
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans
Veterans - psychology
Victimization
Women
Women's Health - standards
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Summary:Women Veterans are a growing population with complex care needs. While previous research has examined the experiences of women Veterans, little attention has been paid to the specific experiences of older women Veterans. These case studies present the experiences of 2 older women Veterans who have been enrolled in Veterans Affairs (VA) health care for several decades. Results suggest that these older women Veterans have faced gender-specific challenges and barriers throughout their time accessing VA care. The experiences of these participants suggest that they have gender-sensitive needs that are not always addressed by VA primary care and that women’s groups are important mechanisms by which they have gained psychological support in a gender-sensitive environment. These cases suggest that access to gender-sensitive services and women-centered spaces are important for these 2 older women Veterans and should be explored in future research.
ISSN:0046-9580
1945-7243
DOI:10.1177/0046958020931311