About the research
For the first time in human history, most people can expect to live into their late 80s. Yet, in our youth-obsessed culture, we seldom see the faces or hear the voices of our oldest citizen – especially those that live in aged care. The Inside Aged Care project addresses this knowledge gap. Conceptually, the research – exploring the lived experience of aged care from the perspective of residents, their family and staff – was guided by the World Health Organization’s active ageing framework that emphasises the importance of health, participation and security. Within an active-ageing framework, the research aimed to:
- Explore how ageing is conceptualised and experienced by various stakeholders;
- Investigate and track older Australians lived experience of aged care;
- Engage the wider community in a conversation about ageing, through an exhibition.
- Develop an integrative model of active ageing in aged care – a typological model identifying facilitators for, and barriers to, operationalising and achieving active ageing;
- Create evidence-based best practice guidelines
Critically, we spoke with, documented and followed the expectations, experiences and reflections of multiple aged care stakeholders over three years. While our publications document an array of specific issues (from the ethics of Photovoice in a communal environment to the leisure activities of aged care residents), the results here focus on the experiences of two key groups – retirement village residents (those living independently in their own homes within the grounds) and those living in residential aged care (in a private room within the facility and not formal diagnosed with dementia at the start of the project).
The poem below, about finding a home and a family, captures how the majority of residential care residents (after an initial period of negativity and adjustment) viewed their new life in aged care positively.
Finding a home – and family
Before coming in here,
I was going down pretty fast
But since I have been here,
I feel so well and so good.
I have never felt so well, until I come in here.
I have just picked up,
I haven’t looked back.
Anonymous
The exhibition grouped resident’s photographs and narratives across four core themes – Being Me; Activities and Rituals; Inside and Outside Spaces and Living Together (and Apart).