Meeting the challenges in conducting research in vulnerable older adults with self-neglect-notes from a field team

Gaining a systematic understanding of possible ways to increase the quality and lifespan of older adults experiencing self-neglect has unique challenges. These challenges include identifying self-neglect in the community and navigating levels of cognitive, physical, and/or psychological difficulties in this population that impact recruitment, consent, and accurate data collection. Conducting quality research under some of the environmental self-neglect conditions such as squalor, animal and insect infestations and no utilities can also challenge planned study protocols and study validity. This manuscript presents details of these overarching challenges and some of the workable solutions noted and implemented by research field-team members who have enrolled over 300 adults experiencing self-neglect for various studies. Usual research methodology must overcome these barriers to work to create consciousness about the self-neglect population. The classic series of cases is still a good alternative when describing self-neglect. Considerations for conducting future self-neglect research are presented.

Automated summary

Understanding how to improve the quality and lifespan of older adults experiencing self-neglect is challenging due to difficulties in identifying self-neglect in the community and dealing with cognitive, physical, and/or psychological issues that affect data collection. Conducting research under self-neglect conditions such as squalor and infestations poses challenges to study protocols and validity. This manuscript discusses these challenges and offers potential solutions based on the experiences of a research field-team involving over 300 adults experiencing self-neglect. Considerations for future self-neglect research are also presented.