Äldres upplevelse av självbestämmande på särskilda boende

Self-determination and quality of life are closely connected to one another and at the same time an important indicator on how the long-stay care functions. The aim of this study was to focus on the thoughts of the elderly people and their experiences on self determination and value in their long-stay care. In this qualitative study, eleven elderly people from five different long-stay cares in a medium big city in the south of Sweden have been interviewed. Data has been analysed according to manifest and latent qualitative content analysis. In the study the following five main categories have manifested themselves during the analysis; To face an accomplished fact, To do something for the satisfaction of others, To be dependant, To feel hopelessness, Not to be appreciated. The result shows that self determination within the long-stay cares need to be focused on, the elderly people didn’t feel as though they had any influence on their situation. It was also evident that the elderly people felt they were not appreciated in society or in the long-stay care. The general theme expressing the latent contents in the interviews turned out to be disempowerment of the elderly people, creating an environment which neither empowers nor strengthens the self determination of the individual.