Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Hrybyk, Regina Libertini

Titel

A touch of home: Personal relics in assisted living

Ort / Verlag

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses

Erscheinungsjahr

2009

Link zum Volltext

• ProQuest

Quelle

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• This study looks at the meaning of personal possessions in residents' rooms in an assisted living (AL) facility. Ethnographic interviews with nine residents and the admissions coordinator focus on the process of moving from home to assisted living and on object relations within the AL room. Interviews from the study, Social Relations in Residential Settings were also used. Treasured objects act as reflections of the self and of past relationships. Pieces from the past may help an older person remain connected to important events and foster continuity in the person. Autonomy of the elder, especially as it relates to the selection of items to bring to assisted living, is put forth as a moderator of disruptions to self. Recommendations to families and AL administrators may inform the practical aspects of leaving home.