Hjemme best? En tematisk analyse av eldres fortellinger om omsorg og trygghet i eget hjem
Sammanfattning
This article explores the stories of older people about ageing, home-based care and their experiences related to feeling safe at home. Based on a thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with 28 elderly women and men living in rural and remote parts of Norway, the article reveals that for our participants, ‘home’ is very important. It is a place where several of them have lived for decades; where they have their routines, and where they feel safe. Feeling at home, moreover, is shaped by not only the house itself, but also by furniture, photos, memories, the garden or the small potato plot, and by the view, the landscape, and the community. Moreover, the article reveals that remaining in the home despite decreasing health is an important value for good quality of life to many of our participants. For some, however, the home has become an unsafe place where they feel anxious, where they are afraid to fall and/or a place where they feel alone and isolated. This may be the case also for those who receive rather comprehensive home-based care services from the municipality. For this group of elderly women and men, moving to an assisted living facility, or to a senior apartment in the municipal centre closer to social meeting places and various services, may be a preferred solution.