Abstract
Self-neglect is a poorly understood phenomenon evident to home healthcare nurses who describe older adults who self-neglect as disheveled, unkempt individuals living in cluttered, filthy homes. In spite of the concerns nurses report about these individuals and their situations, individuals who self-neglect give no indication there is any reason for concern for their welfare, and in fact some refuse intervention. The purpose of this study was to determine how home healthcare nurses perceive elder self-neglect, their experiences with this phenomenon, and to explore the steps nurses take when self-neglect is suspected