Home Experience Research Articles

Opportunities of Care at What Cost: Findings from a Qualitative Study Exploring Care Leavers Experiences of Residential Care Homes for Children in Thailand

The social problem of children’s homes in Thailand is a complicated one to address. Much of the research on this topic specific to Southeast Asia is relatively new, with many relevant articles published in the past 10 years. For over 80 years, research mainly from Eastern Europe has widely acknowledged the severe long-term cognitive, emotional and developmental effects on children raised in institutional care. However, to date, there has been very little published qualitative research addressing the lived experiences of Thai children growing up in children’s homes from the perspective of the care leavers themselves. This article seeks to learn more about the experiences and perspectives of those who spent their childhoods in institutional care and how they compare with international research on this topic. The results show complicated feelings towards their time in care, with the majority stating that despite the negative aspects, they would still choose a children’s home for themselves over staying in a village without access to secondary school. However, they unanimously expressed that they would not choose the same path for their own children.

Palliative care knowledge and self-efficacy: a comparative study between intensive care units and general units nurses

Background and objectivesThe growing number of terminally ill patients has underscored the importance of equipping healthcare workers with adequate palliative care knowledge and self-efficacy. This study aimed to compare the palliative care knowledge and self-efficacy of nurses in intensive care units (ICUs) with those in general wards at hospitals affiliated with Kerman University of Medical Sciences in 2023.MethodsThis descriptive-comparative cross-sectional study involved nurses from intensive care units and general wards of three hospitals affiliated with Kerman University of Medical Sciences, for a total sample size of 300 nurses (150 in each group). The samples were selected using convenience sampling. The data collection tools included a demographic information questionnaire, the Palliative Care Knowledge Test (PCKT), and the Palliative Care Self-Efficacy Scale (PCSES). Convenience Sampling method was used. The data were analyzed using SPSS 23. Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U test and multivariate stepwise regression) were employed. Statistical significance was determined by a p-value of ≤ 0.05.FindingsThe mean score for palliative care knowledge was 10.59 (± 2.10) for nurses in intensive care units and 10.43 (± 2.33) for nurses in general wards, with no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.53). Similarly, the mean score for palliative care self-efficacy was 28.01 (± 10.29) for nurses in intensive care units and 27.98 (± 10.33) for nurses in general wards, with no significant difference between the groups (P = 0.98). Variables such as the history of caring for dying patients in the hospital (P = 0.004) or at home (P = 0.01), workplace (P = 0.002), and work experience (P = 0.03) were identified as the main predictors of palliative care knowledge and palliative care self-efficacy was affected by age (P < 0.001), history of participation in palliative care training courses (P = 0.008), and palliative care knowledge score (P = 0.01).Discussion and conclusionThis study revealed no significant difference in total scores of palliative care knowledge or self-efficacy between nurses in intensive care units and general wards It is suggested that more efforts be made to increase the knowledge and self-efficacy of all nurses, especially nurses in ICU departments, till providing a standard palliative care setting.

Conceptualizing university students’ food choices based on theory of planned behavior

Background Several students use hostel facilities offered by their colleges and universities while pursuing higher education. A crucial change is witnessed in their food habits during their stay at the campus, which is vastly different from their home experience. Method The study employs the theory of planned behavior to conceptualize and understand the food choices of university students while following the qualitative research methodology and the phenomenological approach. The snowball sampling method is applied to select participants for the study. We selected twenty-six undergraduate and postgraduate students pursuing programs in technical and health science from a private university at Udupi with residence in the university campus for two to four years. Interviews with candidates were conducted online and audio-recorded with participants’ consent. Results The transcribed interviews were coded and categorized to obtain themes, which were then conceptualized to develop the model based on the theory of planned behaviour. The duration of their stay on campus allowed students to gain a perspective on the food events and the food they consumed at the university dining facility (UDF) guided by factors, such as taste, price, availability of time(during academic activity), accessibility to healthy food, academic stress and lack of knowledge on nutrition. Two factors emerged from the interviews, one, there was no display in the dining facility about the nutritional value of the food served; and, second, students preferred to dine out on unhealthy food rather than at the university because food from outside the campus, even though unhealthy, was easier on the pocket. Conclusion The study provides insights into the role of UDF in serving healthy and nutritional food to students for better health and improved academic performance. This work brings to light the relationship between students’ food choices and their impact on academic performance.

Improving the patient experience of transition from hospital to home after stroke: a service evaluation

The period when a patient returns home from hospital after a stroke can be a challenging time. There is often a need for patients to be discharged quickly; therefore, a poor discharge experience for patients and their carers is consistently reported. Individuals can feel anxious and unsupported during this period. The aim was to conduct a service evaluation and improvement project in a regional stroke service to explore the experiences of patients being discharged home from the Acute Stroke Unit with support from the Early Supported Discharge Service. Specific elements of a previously validated questionnaire were completed by nine participants. The service evaluation built on previous research and expanded the data by including patients with communication or cognitive difficulties. Patients generally had a positive experience of discharge home from hospital. Most patients received the information they needed and felt involved in discharge decisions. However, one-third of patients experienced a delay related to waiting for medication. The need for psychological support was identified. A collaborative approach involving patients and professionals is suggested to create changes in stroke services. Patients should be offered psychological support and medication delays should be addressed. Any subsequent study would be improved by recruiting a larger number of participants, particularly from more diverse ethnic groups, and offering the option of online or hard copy questionnaire distribution.

Strategi Koping Pelampiasan Stres pada Mahasiswa Rantau

Individuals who decide to migrate to continue their education and improve their quality of life will undoubtedly face various new problems with themselves and their surroundings. The many issues faced by students who are away from home can cause them to experience stress. In dealing with this stress, each student away from home has a different way. This paper aims to determine coping strategies for stress relief from the perspective of the phenomenology of students who are away from home. The research method used is qualitative descriptive, which is collected data through interviews with two informants from different campuses. The results of the study show that the reasons why students who are away from home experience stress are due to pressure in the world of lectures and also other problems that they face simultaneously. The coping strategies used are in two forms: coping strategies that focus on emotions and those that focus on meaning. Keywords: Students Who Are Away, Stress, Coping Strategies

The effect of dwelling size on the mental health and quality of life of female caregivers living in informal tiny homes in Hong Kong

BackgroundAlthough the adverse impact of substandard informal housing has been widely documented, most studies concentrated on developing societies, thereby leaving informal housing in developed regions underexplored. This study examines Hong Kong, where limited dwelling size is a distinctive feature that characterises informal housing, to explore the impact of housing informality on mental health, with a particular focus on dwelling size. It centers on subdivided units (SDUs), which are tiny compartments partitioned from a large domestic quarter, to understand how housing informality and housing size affect the mental well-being of female caregivers, who typically bear the brunt of the housework.MethodsIn partnership with nongovernment organisations in three SDU-abundant districts, this mixed-methods study conducted a survey on 413 female caregivers aged 18—65 and qualitative research combining ethnographic observations and in-depth interviews on 36 families living in SDUs in Hong Kong between 2021 and 2023. The mental health outcomes and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of the participants were assessed by using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 and a EuroQol-5 Dimension-5 Level questionnaire.ResultsDepression, anxiety and stress were prevalent across the female caregivers living in SDUs (12.4%), as well as a significantly lower HRQoL compared with that of the general population (0.882 vs. 0.919). Findings showed that a total floor area smaller than 13.0 m2 was associated with increased likelihood of experiencing anxiety and depression and reduced HRQoL. Cramped living space adversely affected the caregivers’ well-being through the 1) physical, 2) relational and 3) personal aspects of home experiences. Negative experiences at home can cause housework burnout, exacerbate family conflicts and lead to feelings of repression and low self-efficacy.ConclusionsThis study contributes to the understanding of the consequences of housing informality in diverse geographical contexts and illuminates the effect of dwelling size by identifying the mechanisms through which housing size can affect the mental well-being of residents, which may vary depending on their family status. The findings yield important policy implications, including the need to establish a minimum space standard for subdivided residential dwellings and ensure equitable access to community spaces for deprived families.

Psychological-Social Attitudes of Seniors Towards Stressful Situations in the Home Environment

Aim. The main goal of the article is to point out the attitude of seniors to stressful situations in the home environment from a psychological-social perspective. The authors identify selected categories of problem areas in the lives of seniors, which they later analyze in qualitative research. Methods. The authors used a literary-descriptive method and an open coding theory grounded in the empirical investigation of the methods. Qualitative research was carried out through interviews with seniors in which they identify burdensome problem situations and look for new solutions. start the analytical induction, the authors draw attention to new knowledge in individual problems of stress situations in seniors. Results. Seniors at home experience problematic situations associated with loneliness, loss, but also the very retirement of a partner and disrupted intergenerational relationships in the family. Home care is one of the solutions of these socio-psychological systems. Conclusion. Relationships in the family, which should be based on love, understanding, understanding and mutual help, also depend on the attitude of the senior citizen and his family towards an important situation. Relationships in the family to a large extent also affect the productivity of the senior's family. Here, a home care service proves to be a suitable alternative and help for the family.

Autonomy and Respect in Pregnancy Care for LGBTQIA+ Families: Evaluation of a Home Visiting Program.

The purpose of this program evaluation was to gather information on proportions of LGBTQIA+ individuals and families, their needs, and care experiences in a county health department's home visiting programs for perinatal clients and to make recommendations for improving culturally competent care for LGBTQIA+ individuals and families. In this engaged scholarship partnership, home visiting nurses administered a questionnaire to perinatal clients including demographic information on sexual orientation and gender identity. Differences between LBGTQIA+ identifying individuals' perception of the perinatal care received and those of heterosexual, cisgender individuals were assessed. On the basis of these data, 10% of the 52 respondents identified as LGBTQIA+ and 4% identified with a gender other than "woman." Clients who identified as straight had similar mean scores to those who listed an LGBTQIA+ sexual orientation. Clients who chose a gender identity other than "woman" had scores that fell within the 50th to 75th percentile of the overall mean. Qualitative interviews with 2 respondents provided additional in-depth information on their experiences. Overall, clients served by these perinatal programs reported similar diversity in terms of gender identity and sexual orientation as compared with national averages. This project provided evidence of the diversity among the clientele served by this agency and the importance of expanding the focus on inclusionary language and practices.

What does 'feeling at home' mean for adults with intellectual disabilities living in group homes in England?

Shared housing for adults with intellectual disabilities with staff support, is a common housing model internationally. We explored an overlooked aspect of group homes, namely the extent to which they enable a sense of 'feeling at home' for residents. A diverse group of 19 housemates participated in a photovoice study. Participants took photos in their homes and discussed them in individual interviews and in groups. Data was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Residents' experience of home was multi-dimensional. 'Feeling at home' related to home as a site of identity cultivation (personal home); physical comfort or 'misfitting' (physical home) and home as the locus of key relationships (social home). Achieving a sense of 'feeling at home' requires engagement in practices of home-making. Many of our participants required support from staff to engage in these practices. For some housemates their experience of home was conditional and precarious.

The experience of a dweller: exploring the concept of modernist planning in Ataköy housing

ABSTRACT Designed by local urban planners and architects in the 1950s, led by Italian architect Luigi Piccinato, the Ataköy housing in İstanbul has become a modernist landmark. While Ataköy satellite city has received criticism for its urban form and impact on the texture of urban life, in today’s globalised world, the specificity of place is often lost, and Ataköy satellite city can evoke and strengthen a sense of place and belonging. This article addresses the concept and experience of home in Ataköy and as experienced through autoethnographic analysis. Given the lack of an ‘insider’ understanding of home in the existing literature, this article makes a unique contribution to the literature by providing an autoethnographic account of Ataköy. The analysis illustrates that architecture and urbanism are more than just design fields, strategies or narratives generated by planners; they are lived realities experienced and felt by those who inhabit spaces. By considering my own lived experiences and those of the dwellers and incorporating these into placemaking, I aim to develop an ‘insider’ approach to evaluating housing design that transcends and integrates the deficiencies commonly identified in modernist environments. This approach helps to develop a more comprehensive understanding of housing in urban environments.

Home Health Staff Knowledge and Experience of Delirium and Delirium Superimposed on Dementia in Older Adults

Home Health Staff Knowledge and Experience of Delirium and Delirium Superimposed on Dementia in Older Adults

The Application of Intelligent Technology in Interior Design and Its Impact on Living Experience

The development trend of intelligent residential interior design suggests that deep personalization, integration, greenness, and security will become mainstream. Designers will utilize AI technology to comprehensively understand user needs and craft unique smart home experiences. The future home environment will seamlessly integrate devices and offer efficient control methods for convenience. Additionally, there will be a heightened focus on environmental sustainability, optimizing energy usage through intelligent systems and potentially incorporating renewable energy sources to achieve zero-energy living spaces. Intelligent technology is significantly transforming interior design, guiding living spaces towards a smarter, more comfortable, and more sustainable future. Throughout this progression, design is evolving from a singular aesthetic focus to the fusion of technology and art. Designers are transitioning into technology leaders and artistic innovators, collectively shaping the future lifestyle of humanity.

Internationalization at home program significantly increases the self-efficacy of nursing students: A pre-post study

BackgroundInternationalization at home strategies seek to achieve a more inclusive and equitable higher education. Evidence about the impact of these strategies on students' self-efficacy is still scarce, even though this psychological construct is essential for the performance and well-being of nursing students. The Global Nursing Care program was designed to provide nursing students with an internationalization at home experience, combining a virtual exchange and international clinical simulation. AimTo determine the impact of the Global Nursing Care program on nursing students' self-efficacy. DesignA quasi-experimental, analytic, and longitudinal study was conducted.Settings and participants: The virtual module was carried out online, and the international simulations were developed in the Simulation Centers of the San Juan de Dios School of Nursing and Physiotherapy (Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Spain) and the West Coast University (USA). Seventy students participated in the program and 57 completed the pre-post questionnaire. MethodsData were collected using an online survey that included a sociodemographic questionnaire and the General Self-efficacy Scale. IBM's SPSS (version 28.0.1.1) was used to analyze data. Differences between self-efficacy levels were measured before and after the program, and according to sociodemographic characteristics. ResultsGeneral self-efficacy was significantly augmented following program participation (pre-intervention: mean = 32.39, SD = 3.87; post-intervention: mean = 34.44, SD = 3.86; p < 0.001). No differences based on nationality, previous international academic experience or academic year were found. ConclusionsAn internationalization at home program based on virtual exchange and simulation improves nursing students' general self-efficacy. Future research can explore to what extent this effect persists over time.

Writing a way home

This article discusses my (impossible) attempt to find a way home by writing a play — Home. Home is constructed by weaving together fragments from my grandmother’s memoirs and my own writing (Thorp 1945, 2016). My grandmother, born and brought up in Myanmar, had never visited Britain until her family moved ‘home’ when she was sixteen, while I moved to Singapore in my thirties. As a child, my grandmother could not return home to Myanmar, while the COVID-19 pandemic meant that I was unable to leave Singapore. By comparing our experiences of being at home, and of not being able to go home, I aim tell a wider story about identity and belonging in migrant experiences that reach beyond our own intimate recollections. In Home, the page becomes a playground where I explore notions of home, identity, belonging, non-belonging, and the trickster nature of memory. This autoethnographic investigation combines my experience of writing Home with theoretical and methodological reflections on it. Through this process, the concept of home reveals itself as embodied, liminal, shifting, and troubles notions of identity and belonging for both my grandmother and me. Extending Sara Ahmed’s notion of home as skin (1999), I suggest that not only can home permeate the skin, but that there is a connection between home and sickness. In attempting to understand my grandmother’s experience of home in her cultural and ethnographic context, I expose my own post-colonial discomfort about her claim that Myanmar was her home. These feelings affect how I select and reuse text from her memoirs, so that I reveal myself to be an unreliable narrator, biographer, and even an unreliable playwright. Ultimately, playwriting becomes a method that allows identity and belonging for my grandmother and I to exist in a third space (Bhabha 1994), both on the page and embodied in a character that is both of us and neither of us.

Parent Emotions Regarding the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Experience &amp; Transition Home

Abstract Date Presented 03/21/24 Emotions around the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) experience and transition home were explored. Fear was expressed equally for NICU and home, and happiness was discussed twice as often for home experiences. Professionals need to consider parent emotions during this period. Primary Author and Speaker: Audrey Kane Contributing Authors: Christine M. Spence, Corri Stuyvenberg, Rachel Gaston, Jennifer Burnsed, Karen D. Hendricks-Muñoz, Richard D. Stevenson, Stacey Dusing

A Qualitative Inquiry into Nurse-Family Partnership Black Client Perspectives.

Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) is a home visiting program designed to improve pregnancy outcomes, child health and development, and life course outcomes for families facing socioeconomic inequalities through support and education provided by nurses to first-time mothers during pregnancy and up to 2years postpartum. Studies show that home visiting programs like NFP have positive outcomes, but attrition remains a concern which may impact the desired health equity goals. Black mothers are more likely to withdraw from the NFP program, and research is lacking regarding their experiences in home visiting programs despite facing maternal health inequities rooted in racism. The present study aimed to understand factors that influenced program continuation and provide insights for program improvement. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 21 Black NFP clients from multiple sites. Key findings include the importance of the nurse-client relationship, access to reliable health information, and racial concordance in the nurse-client pairing. Clients valued supportive, nonjudgmental nurses who provided dependable support and education. Racially concordant partnerships were perceived as more comfortable and understanding, fostering trust and open communication. Clients also suggested that invasion of privacy during home visits and a lack of connection with their nurse could contribute to program discontinuation. Efforts to increase program retention of Black clients should focus on fostering a strong nurse-client alliance. Recommendations include increasing racial diversity in the nurse workforce, implementing a nurse-client matching system, and allowing clients to request a new nurse if needed.

Is the future of work hybrid? Examining motivations and expectations related to working from home in knowledge workers' lived experiences

PurposeThis study explores the topic of remote work and the changing motivations to working from home after the COVID-19 pandemic-induced exposure to working from home. It examines the effects of that forced work from home (WFH) experience on subsequent motivations for continuing part or all of that changed mode of working. In this study, the authors examine the perspective of front-line knowledge workers regarding the motivation to WFH based on their lived experiences.Design/methodology/approachSelf-determination theory (SDT) provided the theoretical basis for the study (Ryan and Deci, 2000, 2017). The authors employed semi-structured individual and group interviews (with 28 participants) and explored the following questions: How has the competence aspect of motivation to WFH changed due to the shift that occurred during the pandemic? How has the relatedness aspect of motivation to WFH changed due to the shift that occurred during the pandemic? How has the autonomy aspect of motivation to WFH changed due to the shift that transpired during the pandemic?FindingsThe findings show that there was a change from an extrinsic motivation based on external factors to one that is more intrinsic, or internal, in nature for knowledge workers who experienced the switch to working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study makes an important contribution by developing a theoretical model based on SDT (Ryan and Deci, 2000, 2017) in the context of WFH. In the first phase (Phase 1), workers experienced many transitional challenges due to the suddenness and intensiveness of the shift. However, over time workers adapted and adjusted (we refer to this as Phase 2 in our model). Ultimately, all three aspects of SDT – competence, relatedness and autonomy – increased motivation to work from home. However, we also found some factors that act as demotivators to knowledge workers for embracing remote work such as those involving career advancement and the expectation of voice. Despite these moderating factors, the overall progression toward the desire to WFH, at least on a hybrid basis, has continued after adjusting to the forced experience of telecommuting during the pandemic.Originality/valueThe contribution of this study is to disaggregate the short-term effects of the sudden transition, to the longer-term effects after adaption and adjustment occurred, and to connect that to a new perspective on work by employees. It does this by extending SDT to the context of motivation regarding work from home. The COVID-19 pandemic provided experience of and opportunities for telework to more employees and changed many of their expectations and motivations. By looking at front-line knowledge workers’ expectations and motivations related to home-based work, we can better understand the increased demand by workers for hybrid work schedules.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Home Science Experiences as Mental Scaffold in the Teaching and Learning of Basic Science

The study evaluated the effectiveness of children’s home experiences as mental scaffold in teaching and learning of Basic Science in Primary schools in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The research design was Quasi Experimental. A sample size of 458 primary five pupils from public and private schools was used. The instrument for data collection was the Basic Science Achievement Test (BSAT), which was trial tested and analyzed using Kuder Richardson 20 (Kr20) formula and a reliability co-efficient of 0.78 obtained. Twelve intact classes were used for data collection ; 6 from urban and 6 from rural schools; 6 private and 6 public. One of the classes sampled constituted the experimental group and the other one the control group. Pre-test was then administered to the two groups and after three weeks of treatment, a post-test administered. A retention test was further administered after two weeks. The scores obtained from pre-test, post-test and retention test were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The result revealed that children’s home experiences which served as mental scaffold significantly enhanced their ability to retain and recall scientific concepts. The result further revealed that school location had significant effect on the learning achievement of pupils in the study as subjects in rural schools performed significantly better than those in urban areas. Also, pupils in public schools outperformed their counterparts in private schools. It was then recommended among others that educational authorities and organizations should offer professional development through seminars and conferences to support the use of mental scaffold.

Smart Home Automation

The Smart Home Concept responds to the increasing need for integrating smart appliances and systems within residential environments. It includes a growing array of devices, services, and applications designed to simplify daily tasks and enhance the quality of life. Utilizing various technologies and standards, numerous device suppliers offer a wide range of solutions, including meters, actuators, sensors, and micro systems, which are integrated into the home environment. This advanced system incorporates sensors, artificial intelligence, and machine learning algorithms to develop an intelligent, responsive, and personalized living space. Continuous sensor data collection on environmental conditions and user behaviors allows AI to autonomously manage various home functions. The system emphasizes interoperability and standardization to ensure compatibility with a wide range of devices. Improvements in natural language processing and voice recognition further enhance human-machine interactions. This comprehensive approach aims to optimize energy efficiency, bolster security, and streamline daily activities, providing residents with a more intuitive and adaptable smart home experience in the evolving field of home automation.

Integrasi Artificial Intelegent Berbasis Sistem Operasi Android pada Smart Home

This study explores the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into smart home systems using the Android operating system to enhance security, privacy, efficiency, and user comfort. Key security measures include data encryption, robust authentication methods, sandboxing, and AI integration, specifically leveraging Google Assistant for improved privacy controls. Maintenance strategies for smart homes emphasize energy management, device condition monitoring, and enhanced safety features. AI adaptation to user habits enhances productivity and situational awareness, while Android's role in connecting various IoT devices facilitates remote control and energy-efficient recommendations. Methods such as Eco Android, Greensource, byte-code transformations, and automated energy diagnosis tools aid in optimizing energy use. The comparison between smart and non-smart homes highlights the efficiency and convenience of smart homes despite higher installation costs and potential network issues. The development and deployment of an Android-based application, SafeHause, exemplifies practical implementation, emphasizing end-to-end testing, security updates, and user education. The findings affirm that AI integration with Android significantly improves the smart home experience by enhancing energy optimization, data security, and personalized user interaction. Furthermore, the study discusses future trends in smart home technology, such as the potential for more advanced AI algorithms and machine learning techniques to provide even greater personalization and automation. The importance of regular software updates and the role of user feedback in refining smart home systems are also highlighted, ensuring that these technologies continue to evolve and meet user needs effectively.