Incarcerated geriatric patients' experiences of aging and healthcare.

Older incarcerated adults reported significant difficulty navigating the jail physical environment due to aging-related limitations and unaddressed disabilities.

• Participants described challenges including climbing to use the top bunk of a bunk bed, difficulty grasping objects due to Parkinsonian tremor, and significant visual impairments.
• Participants relied on other inmates for assistance with limited systemic accommodations available.
• Study involved semi-structured qualitative interviews with 20 adults over 50 years old incarcerated at a local county jail.
• Participant demographics were reported as representative of the broader jail population demographics.

Older incarcerated adults faced multiple challenges when attempting to access healthcare in the jail setting.

• Challenges included lack of clarity around procedures for accessing care and mutual distrust sometimes marking their relationship with medical staff.
• Participants described difficulty using a digital kiosk system to submit medical requests.
• Successful healthcare experiences involved an element of serendipity, such as advocacy from a sympathetic officer.
• Participants were referred to the emergency department for acute care needs at the time of recruitment.

Two major overarching themes were identified using an inductive qualitative coding approach from interviews with older jail detainees.

• The study used semi-structured qualitative interviews focusing on experiences of aging while incarcerated and access to healthcare.
• An inductive approach was used to code data and identify overarching themes.
• Sample size was 20 participants, all over 50 years old, incarcerated at a local county jail.
• The two themes were: (1) difficulty navigating the jail environment related to aging and unaddressed disabilities, and (2) challenges when attempting to access healthcare.

Older adults comprise the fastest growing demographic in correctional facilities in the United States, yet little is known about how they navigate aging and access healthcare specifically in jail settings.

• Prior studies have shown older adults in prison report difficulty accessing healthcare and navigating the prison environment.
• The authors note a distinction between jail and prison settings, with this study focusing on the jail context.
• Despite a constitutional right to healthcare and high rates of medical comorbidities, older prisoners experienced a challenging physical environment and difficulty accessing healthcare.
• The authors call for further work to identify potential age-friendly modifications to the jail environment and improved healthcare delivery.