An Occupational Tool: Life Story Work with Older People in

Care Homes

Amy-Jade MitchelsonOccupational Therapist

My Story

Presentation Outline

RationaleWhat is Life Story Work?MethodsThe experiences of life story workAn occupational toolSummary

‘Peter’ Geriatric 1927 (2006)

Rationale

Occupational Injustice

Need for Story Evidence Personal

Experiences

“Life story work uses the interplay between memory and imagination to construct a story that assists the person to locate him or herself within his or her own

family’s history…”

Gibson, 2004, p.130.

What is Life Story Work?

What is Life Story Work?

“Life story work is about finding out, recording and making use of

relevant facts from the individual life story…”

Murphy, 2004, p.89.

What is Life Story Work? My Conceptualisation

“Life story work is a collaborative process, exploring a person through story, without

setting out to resolve specific past or present problems but to capture stories the individual wants to share in the way,

shape and form they wish”

Methods

Ethical approvalParticipant recruitmentLife story work implementationSemi-structured interviewsInterpretative Phenomenological

Analysis (IPA)

The experiences of life story work

Themes:

• Socialisation

• Realisation

• Volition

• Affordance

• Awareness

Socialisation The experience of the process of developing a new relationship

Mabel: “Funny is that, isn’t it? (laughs)…I shall be sorry not to be seeing you, that’s certain…it’s like anything else I

suppose, there’ll be an emptiness for so long and then it’ll be a happy memory I suppose, eventually…like”

Elsie: “Well you’ve been a very nice person to meet; I’ve enjoyed your company.”

RealisationThe experience of realising more about themselves, capabilities,

feelings, impact on others

Mabel. “…it has made me think more about myself and (laughs) maybe find fault in myself at times, you know

what I mean?...see where I might improve myself a little bit, even in my old age” (laughs).

Alfred: “…it makes you think of lots of things which you think you have forgotten and, erm, you suddenly find you haven’t. They come up because you, you sort of tackle

that particular period in the life…”

VolitionThe reasons for participation & the impact of life story work on

forming new experiences

Mabel: “Well I’d spent all my working life being a nurse, so that was what I enjoy talking about really”

Alfred: “No, I’ve got to give a talk this week, tomorrow actually about what I did during my life, strangely enough, what I worked at, you see so as I’ve written it all down once, now I’m quite happy to do it again”

AffordanceThe experiences of interaction with or influence on others related to

life story work

Alfred: “Well I used it not for personal…sort of for anybody to read, I produced it for my family because I knew nothing about my mother at all except that she had three sisters…”

AwarenessTime, place and self reflections

Mabel: “You do look round…and you see these people here and you wonder what stories there are at the back of them you know” (laughs).

Alfred: “If you go into the lounge there this afternoon you’ll find that six or seven all sat round all fast asleep…I don’t go to sleep like that (laughs), I like to keep reading or something like that”.

Qualities of Life Story Work

Collaboration

Well-being& choice

Participation

Purpose

Meaning

Creativity

Routine

Identity

LifeStoryWork

Summary

Life story work can be an intervention to: Enable occupation, facilitating participant’s in ‘doing, being

and becoming’ – existing and interacting Promote ‘sageing’ (do Rozairo, 1998) Prevent occupational disenfranchisement (French, 2002) Promote adaptation, self realisation and social

independence Gain insight into humans as occupational beings and inform

person centred care

Promoting well-being and choice

Collaboration

Well-being& choice

Participation

Purpose

Meaning

Creativity

Routine

Identity

LifeStoryWork

References

• Atkinson, R. (1998) The life story interview. London, Sage Publications.

• do Rozairo, L. (1998) From ageing to sageing: eldering and the art of being as occupation. Journal of Occupational Science, 5 (3), pp.120-125.

• French, G. (2002) Occupational disfranchisement in the dependency culture of a nursing home. Journal of Occupational Science, 9 (1), pp.28-37.

• Geriatric 1927 (2006) [Online video]. Available from: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=geriatric1927, [Accessed10September06].

• Gibson, F. (2004) The past in the present: using reminiscence in health and social care. London, Health Professions Press, p.130.

• Murphy, C. (1995) This is your life. Journal of Dementia Care, March/April pp.9-11.

References

Perrin, T. (2001) Don’t despise the fluffy bunny. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 64 (3), pp.129-134.

Tobin, S. (1991) Personhood in advanced old age. Springer, New York.

Townsend, E. & Wilcock, A. (2004) Occupational justice. In: Christiansen, C. & Townsend, E. eds. Introduction to occupation: the art and science of living. New Jersey, Upper Saddle River, pp.243-273.

Whiteford, G. (2004) When people cannot participate: occupational deprivation. In: Christiansen, C. & Townsend, E. eds. Introduction to occupation: the art and science of living. New Jersey, Upper Saddle River, pp.221-242.

Wicks, A. & Whiteford, G. (2003) Value of life stories in occupation-based research. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 50, pp.86-91.

Life Story Work: An occupational tool for promoting

well-being and choice

Amy-Jade Mitchelson amyjademitchelson@hotmail.com