Sammanfattning
Background: Care for nursing home patients involving physical,
mental, social, emotional and spiritual well-being. The
Norwegian Government’s innovation strategy includes the
certification scheme “Livsgledesykehjem”, which intends to
strengthen active care and to increase focus on patients’ social
and cultural needs and well-being.
Purpose: The aim of the study is to provide deeper knowledge
of life happiness for elderly in nursing homes and self-transcendence.
Method: Participants were 11 men and 18 women (67-99 years)
from two city municipalities, during spring 2016. Data were
analyzed using Gadamer’s hermeneutical method.
Results: Largely, joy-of-life was described close to the theoretical
clarification of self-transcendence. Joy-of-life (the present
empirical data) and self-transcendence (established theory and
evidence) can be described by two main categories: 1. Joy-of-life
– Intra-personal self-transcendence (accept oneself; adaption
to one’s health and situation; meaning-in-life (present and past
life experiences); finding strength in one’s spiritual beliefs; acceptance
of death as part of life); and 2. Joy-of-life – Interpersonal
self-transcendence (involving, caring and helping others; contact
with the environment; receiving help; hobbies/ interests; learning
something and sharing one’s wisdom).
Conclusion: This study provides knowledge of joy-of-life
and self-transcendence as closely related phenomena shedding
light on each other’s. Interpersonal and intra-personal
self-transcendence are fundamental to joy-of-life in NHs.
The present findings indicate that joy-of-life might signify an
expression of self-transcendence