ケアハウスに入居する高齢女性の転居後の自分らしさ発現過程

Elderly women developing a "Sense of Themselves" after relocating to a care home

要旨：ケアハウスへ転居をした高齢者10名を情報提供者にして，転居後の経験を理解し，作業療法への示唆を得るため質的研究を行った．その結果，情報提供者が転居後にたどった経験として自分らしさの発現の過程が認められた．すなわち，これまで従事してきた作業に携わり，徐々に自分らしさの発現につながる作業を見つけ，施設活動と自分にとって意味のある作業との折り合いをつけた作業パターンを構築していた．さらに，このような作業を行う基盤となる人間関係を構築する際に，習慣的な作業が重要な役割を果たしていた．結果から，対象者の大切な作業を継続する機会の提供や，互いに関連し合う作業の複雑さを理解した援助が重要と考えられた．

　The objective of this study was to investigate the early experiences of 10 informants following their transition to a care home. We using a qualitative research method, we specifically sought to identify: 1) how the residents, as occupational beings, experienced the events associated with their relocations, and 2) how they went through the processes within that new environment. As a result, we found that informants constructed their new lives by continuing to engage in their meaningful occupations, building new meaningful occupations in their institution, and balancing their meaningful occupations with activities provided by their institution. Furthermore, ritual occupations have an important role in creating a social relationship. Following this investigation, we speculate that there is a need to assist those facing similar circumstances by providing the elderly the opportunity to continue their meaningful occupations, and deepening the understanding of the complexity of their occupations.