"Where it's okay if we die": exploring older Canadians' perspective on long-term care through found poetry

Camille Joanisse; Samantha A Oostlander; Michael S Mulvey; Linda Garcia; Sandra Harrisson; Martine Lagacé; Sarah Fraser; Annie Robitaille; Margaret Gillis; Jill Courtemanche; Tracey L O'Sullivan

doi:10.1093/geront/gnaf040

"Where it's okay if we die": exploring older Canadians' perspective on long-term care through found poetry

Gerontologist. 2025 Feb 11:gnaf040. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnaf040. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Camille Joanisse^{1

2}, Samantha A Oostlander^{1

2}, Michael S Mulvey^{3

2}, Linda Garcia^{1

2}, Sandra Harrisson⁴, Martine Lagacé^{5

2}, Sarah Fraser^{1

2}, Annie Robitaille^{1

2}, Margaret Gillis⁶, Jill Courtemanche⁷, Tracey L O'Sullivan^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
² LIFE Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
³ Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
⁴ School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
⁵ Faculty of Arts, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
⁶ International Longevity Centre, Ottawa, Canada.
⁷ EnRiCH Lab, University of Ottawa, Canada.

PMID: 39932734
DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnaf040

Abstract

The thought of living in a nursing home may be disheartening as long-term care establishments have been poorly perceived for decades. The government oversight for quality of care in long-term care homes (LTCH) has resulted in persistent shortcomings when it comes to residents' well-being and health. The COVID-19 pandemic both exacerbated and unveiled long-standing issues regarding the treatment of older adults. Public perceptions about quality of care provided in LTCH declined during the pandemic. With magnification focused on organizational issues in LTCH, future care receivers expressed firm reluctance to consider residence in such facilities. Understanding of older adults' perspectives on LTCH is essential for tailoring care practices and policies. In this study we conducted two rounds of interviews with community-dwelling older adults aged 65 or over to better understand their perceptions of LTCH. The narrative data were analyzed using found poetry as an artistic inquiry. Six poems were composed, combining participants' words into one poetic voice - addressing themes such as death, isolation, ongoing healthcare challenges and private care. Found poetry allowed for salient words to emerge, creating space for nuanced expression of emotions. The combination of multiple voices added to the depth of the poems, which were grounded in the participants' reality.

Keywords: art-based inquiry; covid-19; poems.