Although many researchers now understand home as a multidimensional concept and acknowledge the presence of and need for multidisciplinary research in the field, there has been little sustained reflection and critique of the multidisciplinary field of home research and the diverse, even contradictory meanings of this term. In recent years there has been a proliferation of writing on the meaning of home within the disciplines of sociology, anthropology, psychology, human geography, history, architecture and philosophy. Poetry writing and discussion supports the development of confidence, therapeutic communication skills and the ability to think creatively.Ĭopyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. There is a need for teaching methods which engage and develop students' imagination, if they are going to be adequately prepared for the demands of nursing practice. Qualitative comments suggested that the use of poetry enabled greater understanding of others' experiences, promoted open and honest reflection on feelings and supported the development of confidence. They were then asked to read the poem aloud to a small group and discuss its meaning.Ħ0% (n=24) of students reported that the exercise had increased understanding of their chosen subject, 75% (n=30) stated that they had learned something about themselves and 65% (n=26) of students stated that they had enjoyed the poetry writing exercise. compassion, communication or the therapeutic role of the nurse. This evaluation aimed to explore the use of poetry writing as a way for undergraduate nursing students to consider their feelings about important practice issues.Ĥ2 first year undergraduate nursing students were asked to write a poem which focussed on an important nursing issue e.g. to develop emotional awareness, reduce anxiety and stress and assess communication skills. Implications for theory, practice, and research are discussed.Īrts based approaches have been used in health education in various ways e.g. Here we include background on narrative, insights from narrative research, and clinical wisdom in explaining how narratively understanding the person can improve mental health nursing services.

Eliciting stories illustrates the social context of events, and implicitly provides answers to questions of feeling and meaning. A narrative approach stands in contrast to a yes/no algorithmic process in conversing with clients. This means the nurse should ask questions such as 'How did that come about?' versus why questions. Thus narrative is a culturally congruent way to ascertain and understand experiences. Narratives are an everyday means of communicating experience, and there is a place for storytelling in nearly all cultures. Knowing persons through their stories, narratives they tell, provides contextual detail and person-revealing characteristics that make them individuals. Mental health nurses need to know their clients at depth, and to comprehend their social contexts in order to provide holistic care. The findings highlighted how successful aging-in-place requires integrated, responsive, and accessible primary health and community services. Participants identified relatively simple, low-cost, and effective supports to enable them to adapt to change, while retaining independence and resilience. Discussion: This paper presents rich, and rarely heard, older people’s views about how they and their peers perceive, characterize, and address changes in their capacity to live independently and safely in the community. We identified personal characteristics (resilience, adaptability, and independence) and key elements of successful aging-in-place, summarized in the acronym HIPFACTS: health, information, practical assistance, finance, activity (physical and mental), company (family, friends, neighbors, pets), transport, and safety. Thematic saturation was reached before the final interviews. Results: Forty-two participants provided a range of insights about, and strategies for, aging-in-place. Themes were identified by three researchers working independently, then in consort, using a qualitative thematic analysis approach. The interviews were semistructured, audio-recorded, and transcribed. Methods: Two purposively sampled groups of community-dwelling people aged 65+ years were recruited for individual interviews or focus groups.

Purpose: To explore and synthesize the experiences and perspectives of older people planning for and experiencing aging-in-place. Little is known of the views of older people about the aging-in-place process, and how they approach and prioritize the support they require to live in the community accommodation of their choice. Background: Supporting older people’s choices to live safely and independently in the community (age-in-place) can maximize their quality of life and minimize unnecessary hospitalizations and residential care placement.

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