Temporally and spatially shaped meanings of at-homeness among people 85 years and over with severe illness.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to illuminate how meanings of at-homeness are temporally and spatially shaped by older people with severe illness.

BACKGROUND: At-homeness can be understood as a feeling of being metaphorically at-home while experiencing well-being. The research field of at-homeness among older people with severe illness is under researched and knowledge about how at-homeness is shaped by time and place is limited.

METHOD: Narrative interviews were conducted in Sweden with a total of twenty men and women who were aged 85 years or over and affected by severe illness. The narrative interviews were analysed based on a phenomenological hermeneutical method.

RESULTS: Meanings of at-homeness that were shaped temporally and spatially were interpreted, where time and place were shaped individually by other aspects and also interwoven. Two main inter-related themes were constructed: shaping at-homeness through relying on a familiar place and shaping at-homeness through continuous balancing between the past, present and future.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: At-homeness is temporally and spatially shaped in two ways: through a process over time, or momentarily, where older people's earlier experiences and expectations are interwoven with their experiences of place and the people around them. The results of this study would be applicable to similar societal contexts. For future research, it is important to continue to study how at-homeness can be promoted for severely ill older people, in specific situations and over time.