Exploring lived experiences of health and dementia through poetic inquiry

This portfolio thesis consists of three parts. Part one is a systematic literature review, part two is an empirical paper and part three forms the supporting appendices. Together, they offer an exploration of the use of poetic inquiry in health research, particularly in dementia research. Part One: A systematic literature review that explored the procedures, rationales, strengths and limitations associated with the use of poetic inquiry in health research. The review identified 12 articles. Using a metamethod approach, it was found that poetic inquiry was used during data collection, analysis and dissemination in health research. A narrative synthesis highlighted the added value and limitations of using these methods, which are discussed in relation to their implications for wider use. Part Two: An empirical study that explored the meaning and experience of hope by people living with dementia. People with dementia submitted self-written poems on hope through voluntary sampling. Their poems underwent thematic analysis, and three main themes are reported in the findings. The study highlighted that hope serves a unique and protective function for people with dementia, that people with dementia have the capacity to experience hope, and that social interaction plays an important role in the experiences of hope by people with dementia. Implications of these findings in relation to future research and dementia care are discussed. Part Three: Appendices providing supporting documentation for the systematic literature review and empirical paper. Reflective and epistemological statements are also provided

Considering an alternative perspective : an exploration of the meaning and experience of gratitude for individuals living with illness

This portfolio thesis consists of three parts: a systematic literature review, an empirical paper and a set of related appendices. The thesis as a whole considers what gratitude means and how it is experienced by individuals living with a diagnosis of a chronic condition.The first section is a systematic literature review that explores how gratitude is experienced by individuals living with a diagnosis of cancer, and critically examines how gratitude as a concept is understood and discussed within the cancer literature. Eighteen papers were reviewed. The data were synthesised using a meta-ethnographic approach, which took a critical interpretivist stance to consider how findings were structured and interpreted by researchers. The findings indicate that people living with cancer encounter positive experiences related to gratitude, which have multiple aspects, and co-occur with difficult experiences. The findings are discussed within the context of wider literature, and the implications for future gratitude research are considered.The second section of the portfolio is an empirical study that explores the meaning of the concept of gratitude for people who are living with dementia in the community, and the experience of this concept. A secondary aim of the study was to explore the usability and acceptability of a diary as a data collection method for this group. The research used a mixed-methods approach, primarily collecting qualitative data using interviews and diaries, and analysing this using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Secondary quantitative data were collected via a questionnaire and summarized using descriptive statistics to assess the usability of the diary method. Eight participants aged over 65 and living in the community were interviewed, and six of these participants kept a gratitude diary for a week following interview. Two superordinate themes and seven subthemes emerged from the data. These findings indicate that gratitude has meaning as a multidimensional construct and is experienced in life with dementia, influenced by and balanced with the changes of dementia and ageing. Descriptive statistics indicate that a diary may be an acceptable method of data collection for this group. The findings are discussed in the context of wider literature, and the implications for dementia care generally and the specific application of positive psychology interventions are discussed.The third section consists of a set of appendices relating to both the systematic literature review and the empirical paper. Also contained within these appendices are a reflective statement and an epistemological statement, which consider the researcher’s experience of conducting the research and the philosophical position and assumptions underlying the research

Influences on worker’s role with children in residential settings:A grounded theory

Abstract Working with children in out-of-home care can be complex and require a range of personal and professional skills. The current study explored the influence of personal life experiences on staff who worked with children in out-of-home care. Eight staff members from residential or respite care were interviewed about the influence of their personal life experiences on different aspects of their role, such as choosing to enter the role and ways of working with the children they cared for. A constructivist grounded theory approach was used to generate a model based on the reflections of participants. Participants shared their childhood experiences were key in shaping their values or qualities. Participants’ values led them to want to enter caregiving roles, and they drew from these values and qualities in a predominantly unconscious way. Participants highlighted that at times they purposely drew from their own life experiences to build connections with and further understand the children they support. Participants cited work-based influences as being important in their role, recognising their dual role as ‘professionals’ and ‘people’, as they were encouraged to bring their personal self into interactions with young people. Work-based influences such as training, and spending time with colleagues allowed participants to gain knowledge and learn new skills which they used consciously within their interactions. General experience in the role was aided by this continued development. Participants highlighted adhering to plans and policies as having a crucial influence on their role, sometimes causing frustration when working in ways that went against personal values. This study highlights the combination of professional and personal elements for staff working with children in out-of-home care. The study includes recommendations to support staff teams around the impact of their work and their influences, as well as the need for clinical supervision, formulation and reflective practice