Abstract
The Sami people who are the natives of Scandinavia are not a homogeneous group. They consist of different groups of Sami populations of which the South Sami population are one small group. For the South Sami this means a problem; they have to struggle against a general ignorance about the Sami people and culture, which also may affect received home nursing care. The aim of this study is to describe individual South Sami experiences of being old and receiving home nursing care. A sample of 10 older persons with South Sami background was chosen for this study. Narrative interviews were conducted and qualitative content analysis was used to identify and categorize primary patterns in data. The experience of being an old person with South Sami background who receives home nursing care was understood through the use of the following four themes developed from the informants’ own narratives: “Experience of losses in life”; “Feelings of being less valued”; “Feelings of gratitude”; and “Experience of meaning in daily life as old”. The main finding is that the South Sami population still is exposed to an ongoing subtle colonisation. Therefore, it is important to prepare and teach nurses who work in the South Sami area in cultural care, traditional values and beliefs specific to the South Sami population.
Highlights
Worldwide, there are almost 400 million indigenous people who often suffer from worse health status compared to non-indigenous people [1,2]
The experience of being an old person with South Sami background who receives home nursing care was understood through the use of the following four themes developed from the informants’ own narratives: “Experience of losses in life”; “Feelings of being less valued”; “Feelings of gratitude”; and “Experience of meaning in daily life as old”
Individuals with South Sami backgrounds’ experience of being old and receiving home nursing care was understood through a qualitative content analysis from which four themes emerged: “Experience of losses in life”; “Feelings of being less valued”; “Feelings of gratitude”; and “Experience of meaning in daily life as old”
Summary
There are almost 400 million indigenous people who often suffer from worse health status compared to non-indigenous people [1,2]. The Sami population is not homogeneous; it consists of different Sami people of which the South Sami population is one This population consists of approximately 3000 persons living in the middle of Sweden and Norway and should be seen as a minority inside the Sami population. Research shows [5,6] that the Sami population in the Nordic countries have a uniquely positive health situation compared to other indigenous people in the Arctic regions. According to Gaski et al [7] people with Sami background have similar health status as the rest of the population with similar life expectancy and mortality patterns [8]. Symon and Wilson [5] contend that the explanation could be that the non-indigenous population in the region has comparable living conditions as the Sami. A possible interpretation of the positive Sami health is that Sami people have lived side by side with the majority population in multi-ethnic communities with an almost equal standard of living [9]
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