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Home Cultures
The Journal of Architecture, Design and Domestic Space
Volume 15, 2018 - Issue 2
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Articles

My Room, My Home, My Self

Objects of memory in residential aged care

 

Abstract

The material culture of home cannot be supplanted in its entirety when moving into an aged care facility. When the time comes, the decision of what to take and what to leave behind is not simple. This article presents the balance between practical and emotional considerations in the choice and presence of personal objects in the rooms of residents. Intersubjective relationships between material objects in the room and the people who enter that space is viewed through a narrative lens. In this way, it is the materiality of the room-as-home for the self, which is key. Three major themes relating to the objects in the room of the older person were found to be: 1. Safety, 2. Family, and 3. Home. These themes emerged from ethnographic research in an aged care setting. Participants included residents, their families, care staff, and management of the facility. The article contributes to understandings of material objects as carriers of identity and meaning in an aged care facility.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kathleen Connellan

KATHLEEN CONNELLAN IS A SENIOR LECTURER IN ART AND DESIGN IN THE SCHOOL OF ART, ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA, ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA. SHE HAS A PHD IN INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE. SHE HAS PUBLISHED ACROSS ART AND DESIGN HISTORY AND THEORY BUT IS MOST RECOGNIZED FOR HER WORK ON THE INTERACTION BETWEEN ART, ARCHITECTURE AND MENTAL HEALTH. [email protected]

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