Objectives This paper visually explores older aged care resident's day‐to‐day lived experience, as well as providing a brief introduction to the participatory documentary photography method of photovoice. Methods Ten residents from one Australian residential aged care facility collaborated with researchers and care staff to photograph, reflect on and share their lives. Photographs were shortlisted in individual and group discussions. Results Residents' photographs and narratives provide a visual understanding of what they value. Photographs captured three core themes: the restorative joy of nature (frangipanis); active engagement through leisure activities (football); and the value of social interactions and connections, especially with fellow residents and staff (friendship). Conclusions As old age and aged care remain virtually invisible within popular visual culture, this research highlights the communicative value of participatory photography for challenging stereotypes, as well as the opportunities, challenges and value of visual methods with this cohort.

With the ageing of the population, researchers are investigating the experiences of people living and working in residential aged care. Positive organizational scholarship in healthcare (POSH) and its focus on ‘brilliance’ has not been used as a lens for understanding or improving aged care, although the sector prioritizes person-centred, consumer-directed care. In this qualitative case study, through in-depth interviews, a focus group, and observations, we use a POSH lens to explore how forms of leadership, management structures, and human resource practices facilitate positive experiences for both staff and residents. A thematic data analysis identified the importance of authentic leadership in creating a client-centred organizational culture where ‘happiness’ is an explicit core value. Educating and recruiting staff that share this vision, alongside reflective engagement, rituals and symbols, enabled the building of a responsive care culture that facilitated acts of ‘brilliance’ in healthcare.

This article presents five poems constructed from interviews with older people adjusting to living in residential aged care. They are part of the “Inside Aged Care” project, ongoing longitudinal phenomenological research tracking the lived experience of aged care from the perspective of residents, family members, and service providers. Poetry, through the process of poetic transcription, provided an engaging, evocative, and almost visceral way to help us appreciate what it might be like to be aging in aged care. To date, despite a growing body of work documenting the importance and impact of research in the form of poetry, applying a literary lens is rare in gerontological research. At a very practical level, therefore, we hope these poems help older people, their families, students, and those working in aged care better understand the unique world and perspective of new aged care residents.

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