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Women with disabilities are at risk of experiencing multiple forms of severe and prolonged violence, yet guidelines for screening this population are unclear, screening rates are historically low, and screening tools may be inadequate to capture disability-related aspects of abuse. We conducted qualitative in-depth interviews with 33 rural women in the United States with diverse disabilities and experiences of violence. They described overarching healthcare provider and system factors that influenced their trust and confidence in healthcare delivery as an avenue to support their safety. Women described interactions with the healthcare system during their experience of violence as a missed opportunity for identifying and responding to their abuse and connecting them with resources. We conclude with policy and practice recommendations based on women with disabilities' perspectives and insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study examined how female breast cancer patients without partners conceptualized their relationship status. Qualitative data were collected from 20 participants who did not have partners during diagnosis and treatment. Phenomenology informed the methodology and thematic analysis. Breast cancer patients without partners discussed how they made meaning of their relationship status within the context of their cancer experience and barriers they faced dating post-diagnosis or treatment. Oncology care providers, public health professionals, and family scientists can use the study results to better understand the specific concerns and experiences of breast cancer patients without partners. Additional implications of these findings for patients, practice, and research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an intensive analysis of 61 Northwest Washington State (USA) elder family care providers and their stories of choice, challenge and wisdom as they care for their aged and chronically ill spouses, parents and other loved ones. Family caregivers typically experience crisis conditions in their efforts to deal with their chronically ill relatives or friends. Overall, they lack the skill, knowledge and familiarity with elderly illness conditions to provide the level of care demanded of them. Additionally, they face inadequate financial, social and emotional resources for coping with the extended care of their chronically ill loved ones. The result? Caregivers succumb to depression, illness, financial upheaval and even death long before their work is done. Through their stories, we capture the fundamental imbalances of a society that ignores the needs of the very elderly and those confronting the end of life, as well as those who care for them. As the number of persons living in their 80s, 90s and beyond continues to grow in the U.S. and abroad, so, too, does the need to revamp ill-conceived social policies that fail to address the needs of both the frail elderly and their family caregivers. The stories and experiences of the caregivers will be analyzed using both caregiver data derived from the closed-ended interview schedule, and caregiver narratives, drawing on the responses of the women to open-ended questions. After a description of the sample, the paper explores the ‘caregiver burden’ concept, as an integral part of a descriptive model. This model explores a twofold approach to managing stress among these caregivers: negative emotions, experiences, and outcomes versus positive emotions, experiences and outcomes. As our interview data reveal, these women display high levels of compassion that enable them to overcome their unexpected challenge of care, despite severe self sacrifices. The paper concludes with recommendations for a transformation to a humanistic policy of care that addresses various issues raised by the plight of these overburdened and largely unskilled—although life-affirming—caregivers struggling with their family crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]