Abstract:
It is a truism ...the older people get the more unique they become because ... every day they live and learn. Many elderly people who want to remain in their own environment have this lived experience of becoming uniquely who they are to call upon when making a decision concerning their future and where they want to live during their last years. They know that their environment is a part of them and without it they will flounder and lose control. My concern is that there are many families and health professionals who choose, for various reasons, not to support these elderly people in their decision to remain within their own environment. Through my weaving with their stories I have learned to remain in focus among the maze of phenomena and have discovered that I and am able to objectively explore This concern which I have identified as that of Humane Caring: and captured in the title of my thesis ... Quality of life issues for those elderly people who want to remain in their own environment. This thesis explores the issues surrounding the elderly remaining in their own environment and why remaining 'At home' becomes so essential for them. There are many elderly people who have moved to residential care settings on the advice of others and have paid the price; that of freedom. There are many valid reasons why the elderly cannot and do not always remain in their own environment. I have explored and identified these within the context of my work with aged people which I consider need to be recognized when planning for the future care of the elderly people in New Zealand.
