AUTHOR=Slettebø Åshild , Skaar Ragnhild , Brodtkorb Kari 

TITLE=Social Innovation Toward a Meaningful Everyday Life for Nursing Home Residents: An Ethnographic Study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.666079

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2021.666079

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> The literature shows that innovation, which includes culture change, may be important to create a meaningful everyday life for nursing home residents. However, there is a gap in how social innovation practices may contribute to this. The theoretical discourse for the study is person-centered care.</p><p><bold>Aim:</bold> The main aim was to explore phenomena within social innovation that can contribute to improving nursing home residents’ everyday lives.</p><p><bold>Design and Method:</bold> This study uses an ethnographic design with observations and interviews in two nursing homes in Southern Norway.</p><p><bold>Findings:</bold> The main theme was that social innovation within working practices in nursing homes includes phenomena that contribute to a meaningful everyday life for the residents. This main theme includes five subthemes: (1) opening the nursing home to the surroundings; (2) expanding and strengthening the community of practice; (3) facilitating customized activities; (4) ensuring sufficient nutrition and facilitating enjoyable mealtimes; and (5) preventing unrest and disturbing behavior.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> The study reveals that innovation practices grounded in person-centered care in nursing homes may contribute to opening the nursing home to the community and establishing a common community practice for all members of the nursing home. This enables residents to experience meaningful everyday life through customized activities, sufficient nutrition, and a pleasant milieu during mealtimes. Disturbing behavior is also prevented, making it possible to promote meaningful lives in nursing homes.</p>