Listening to the voices that matter most : establishing personhood in people residing in long-term care with a diagnosed dementia

Abstract

This study sought to hear the voices of people residing in a long-term care facility (LTC), thereby recognizing the inherent worth in all people despite the constraints of dementia. Data were collected through the generation of field notes and through unstructured interviews conducted with four older adults diagnosed with a dementia, and living in a LTC facility in Northwestern Ontario. Discussion focuses on findings from these qualitative interviews.