textThe purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the meaning of
aging for women with childhood onset disabilities. It was my aim to explore the
life course of women aging with paralytic polio and to convey an account of the
changes associated with aging, the strategies used to adapt to the changes, and the
affects of gender on their ability to adapt to the changes. Using a hermeneutic-phenomenological methodology, 32 women with a history of paralytic polio were
interviewed and audio taped 2 to 4 times for 1 to 4 hours at each interview. Of
these women, 25 met the criterion needed to understand aging with impairment
from childhood. The 25 women whose stories were used in the final analysis were
55 to 65 years old. The majority was Anglo (80%), married (64%), and had
children (68%). The mean age of paralytic polio onset was 5.5 years of age. The
majority had been diagnosed with post polio syndrome (88%), and was using some type of assistive device (88%). A thematic analysis revealed 4 themes
regarding the meaning of aging: It’s Just Part of Me, Slowing Down, The
Particulars of Aging, and the Journey that Changes You. Next, changes associated
with aging, consequences of the changes, and strategies used to adapt to the
changes were described. Finally, 2 themes emerged to describe how gender
influenced their ability to adapt to the changes with aging: Perceptions of Self and
Discrepancies in Womanhood. Findings indicated that perceptions of age
influenced their reaction to impairment. Their ability to adapt was influenced by
their ability to find synchrony between perceptions of self and their ability to act
on their behalf. Impairment did not necessarily damage their ability to act on their
behalf. Other life circumstances, many of which may be common to women
without disabilities, combined with their impairments to influence the meaning of
aging. Although the women pushed their bodies to the point of decline to achieve
their chosen roles, they valued their achievements in life. Directions for future
research and implications for nursing practice were discussed.Nursin
