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Nursing Ethics
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Three Nursing Home Residents Speak About Meaning At the End of Life

Lise-Lotte Dwyer

Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden, lise-lotte.dwyer{at}hi.oru.se

Lennart Nordenfelt

Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

Britt-Marie Ternestedt

Ersta Sköndal College and Ersta Hospital, Stockholm, and Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden

This article provides a deeper understanding of how meaning can be created in everyday life at a nursing home. It is based on a primary study concerning dignity involving 12 older people living in two nursing homes in Sweden. A secondary analysis was carried out on data obtained from three of the primary participants interviewed over a period of time (18—24 months), with a total of 12 interviews carried out using an inductive hermeneutic approach. The study reveals that sources of meaning were created by having a sense of: physical capability, cognitive capability, being needed, and belonging. Meaning was created through inner dialogue, communication and relationships with others. A second finding is that the experience of meaning can sometimes be hard to realize.

Key Words: dying • end of life • meaning • older people • palliative care

Nursing Ethics, Vol. 15, No. 1, 97-109 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0969733007083938
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