Safe, but lonely : living in a nursing home
Original version
Slettebø, Å. (2008). Safe, but lonely : living in a nursing home. Vård i Norden, 28 (1), 22-25 https://doi.org/10.1177/010740830802800106Abstract
How do residents in nursing homes experience their life there? Gathering and analysing the personal views of residents is an important way of
studying the effectiveness of nursing homes. The aim of this study is to describe the experience of a group of nursing home residents. Fourteen
residents were interviewed. The data were analysed by using a qualitative content analysis method. The main finding was that living in a nursing
home is a ‘safe but lonely’ experience. Feeling respected, secure and cared for by the nursing staff, as well as having a sense of autonomy were
regarded as positive factors by the informants. The reliability of nurses and the extent to which they meet the social needs of residents are factors
that appear to need improvement. The findings that residents experience both loneliness and safety are discussed in this article.