Negotiating meaning – the experience of community aged care

Abstract

PurposeA framework for achieving what Heidegger referred to as a “fusion of horizons” of understanding, was developed during a study into the experience of a group of older adults receiving care. The paper aims to discuss this issue.Design/methodology/approachThe interpretive hermeneutic phenomenological methodology provided strategies for enabling a researcher to shift his or her understanding to be closer to that of the older adult receiving care, to better understand the experience of receiving care from the perspective of a recipient. Older adults participated in research exploring their everyday lived experiences, and contributed to the researcher’s understanding of the personal impact of care.FindingsThe older adults in this study perceived care in essentially relational terms, and raised the importance of maintaining personal autonomy and relationships as central to maintain meaning in daily life. This framework for successfully achieving a “fusion of horizons” during research is discussed and proposed as a potential strategy for also supporting active participation by adults in their own care provision.Originality/valueThis strategy might be used as a way of enhancing the engagement, safety and satisfaction of older adults, thereby also assisting to protect them from potentially negative influences of power differentials impacting on their care experience.