Preserving an older adult's dignity is complex. By using the attributes in, for example, nursing documentation, the action and value of preserving dignity could be made visible as a professional nursing activity.

Cleft lip and palate (CLP) in newborns have implications for feeding. It might impede the child's attempts to seal around the nipple and to create intraoral pressure. Parents needed support and information about feeding after birth. Mothers' own experiences and how they coped with the challenges related to feeding have not been extensively studied. The aims of this study were twofold: to describe the experiences of feeding for mothers of children born with CLP and to elucidate how the mothers cope with the challenges related to feeding. A qualitative descriptive method and phenomenographic analysis were used to analyse the narratives. Twelve mothers of babies with CLP were strategically selected and interviewed. A semi-structured interview guide was used. Ethical approval for the study was granted by the local ethical committee. The findings resulted in two main categories and five subcategories. The first main category, Being a capable and good mother, included descriptions associated with the mothers' strong desire to do what was best for the child and about how they experienced feeding. The second main category, Coping with the challenges related to feeding, included descriptions of what the mothers perceived as important in order to cope with the challenges related to feeding; of how personal resources were used; of the significance of the father and close family; and of how healthcare professionals contributed. In conclusion, mothers of children born with CLP were in need of individual information by healthcare professionals with expertise, at the time of the diagnosis and until the feeding was manageable. Furthermore, the mothers' personal resources, the fathers and immediate family were of major importance for the mothers to cope with challenges related to feeding.

Elderly persons' participation in and decisions about their own care need more attention. The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of elderly persons' experiences of care and help, and how their lives change in nursing homes. Fifteen elderly persons living in four nursing homes were interviewed about their experiences of needing care and help in their daily life. The interviews were analysed using van Manen's phenomenological approach. Elderly persons' experiences of care and help were described as: a balance between sorrow and relief, a struggle to maintain control and connectedness, managing to live in the present and yet worrying about the future, and an attempt to hide one's vulnerability in order to be accepted and create an inner calm in an exposed situation. In conclusion, important issues were raised concerning elderly persons' perspectives on care and help in daily life in nursing homes.

The aim was to describe satisfaction with the caring and living conditions of elderly persons in nursing homes, expressed by the elderly persons, next of kin and staff members. Elderly persons were interviewed about their caring and living conditions. Next of kin and staff members completed a questionnaire about satisfaction with caring and living conditions of elderly persons. The main results showed significantly low levels of satisfaction regarding: altered health, influence on care, rehabilitation and meaningful occupation, as expressed by the elderly persons. Next of kin stated low satisfaction with staff contacts, influence on care, rehabilitation from staff and meaningful occupation for their elderly relatives. Staff members expressed low satisfaction with influence on care and meaningful occupation. The results present important evidence to guide the heads of nursing homes and those responsible for elderly care, which will help to improve the caring and living conditions of elderly persons.