2026-11-092026-11-09https://scholars.csmu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/38785As the Taiwanese population ages, it is important to develop effective strategies for health promotion and optimal health care service provision for the elderly. Independence in activities of daily living (ADL) is an important quality indictor of these strategies. Particularly in rehabilitation, ADL is the goal of therapy and an outcome measure for intervention efficacy. Despite the rich literature on the ADL status of older adults and the factors that influence their functioning level, there is an alarming lack of systematic studies that explore how older adults perceive and experience independence and dependence, and that how these experiences and perceptions are influenced by the immediate contexts of the older adults and the macro-social cultural environment at large. Literature, mostly conducted in western societies, suggests that the concept of independence is fraught with western cultural values, has multi-dimensional meanings from the seniors’ points of view, and is influenced by local contexts. Furthermore, there is a prevalent myth in rehabilitation in Taiwan that ADL independence is a goal that may not be applicable or easily attainable because of the unique cultural values that associated with aging, illness, and filial piety in Taiwan. This study is to explore (1) perspectives of older Taiwanese on independence and dependence in old age, including the influences of age, gender, activity level, and immediate personal contexts on the experiences and perceptions, (2) the mediating effects of unique societal-cultural contexts in Taiwan and the recent rapid societal-cultural changes on the experiences and perceptions. The study adopts a qualitative design. 36 community-dwelling older adults who are 55 and older (from three age groups) and live in Taipei, Taichung, or Tainan will be recruited. Gender and activity level will also be considered for a fair representation of older adults with different functioning levels and backgrounds. They will participate in in-depth taped interviews and participation observations. Each interview and participation for those with limited stamina or in need of assistance in ADL will be completed in two visits to avoid the influence of fatigue. Selected seniors will participate in follow-up interview and observation in the third year for member check, a strategy to validate the interpretations of the findings 表 C011 共2 頁 第 2 頁 and thus enhance the quality of the research. Interviews and observations will be taped and transcribed in verbatim. Grounded theory and Atlas.ti qualitative analysis software will be used to systematically analyze the transcripts. This study will enhance understandings of independence and dependence in old age from the seniors’ perspectives, particularly its meanings and the mediating effects of age, gender, activity level, and contextual factors. The knowledge could fill a gap in current aging research and theories on independence. It could directly facilitate the provision of a client-centered service by the health policy makers and rehabilitation professionals who work with older adults.鑒於台灣人口急速老化，如何維持老人的健康與提供有效的醫療服務更受到重視， 日常生活獨立性是老人健康的重要指標之一。在復健治療中，日常生活獨立更是治療的 重要目標之一。但目前相關研究缺乏有系統的由老人觀點來探討他們對老年生活依賴與 獨立的經驗與認知，及文化社會情境對此認知經驗的影響。少數歐美文獻指出生活獨立 是一個西方價值觀的產物，對西方老人有多面向的意義，此意義與個人生活的立即環境 與整體文化社會情境息息相關。 本研究探討：1.台灣老人對老年生活獨立與依賴的認知與經驗，包括年齡、性別、 活動程度、與個人立即環境對其之影響，2.台灣特有文化社會情境與近代快速變遷對其 之影響。 本研究使用質性方法，預定對36位55歲以上的社區老人做深度訪談與參與觀察，另 外第三年將挑選6位參與者做追蹤訪談，確認研究者對前兩年研究結果的闡釋。訪談結 果將以紮根理論與Atlas.ti分析軟體分析。 本研究對了解台灣老人對生活獨立與依賴的觀點與經驗，以及情境因素對此經驗與 認知的影響，將有所貢獻。研究結果將可補足現今老人與復健研究中對這些議題了解的 不足，並可幫助復健工作者與從事老人醫療的工作者提供以個案為中心的服務、做適切 的醫療資源運用與服務。獨立依賴老年人質性研究日常生活功能independencedependenceold agequalitative researchProject