Experiences of being old and receiving home nursing care. Older South Sami narrations of their experiences—An interview study

Abstract

The Sami people who are the natives of Scandinavia are not a homogeneous group. They consist of different groups of Sami populations of which the South Sami population are one small group. For the South Sami this means a problem; they have to struggle against a general ignorance about the Sami people and culture, which also may affect received home nursing care. The aim of this study is to describe individual South Sami experiences of being old and receiving home nursing care. A sample of 10 older persons with South Sami background was chosen for this study. Narrative interviews were conducted and qualitative content analysis was used to identify and categorize primary patterns in data. The experience of being an old person with South Sami background who receives home nursing care was understood through the use of the following four themes developed from the informants' own narratives: "Experience of losses in life"; "Feelings of being less valued"; "Feelings of gratitude"; and "Experience of meaning in daily life as old". The main finding is that the South Sami population still is exposed to an ongoing subtle colonisation. Therefore, it is important to prepare and teach nurses who work in the South Sami area in cultural care, traditional values and beliefs specific to the South Sami population.

‘Contradictions in having care providers with a South Sami background who speak South Sami’: older South Sami People in Sweden's expectations of home nursing care

“…Another issue for the South Sami population, regarding speaking South Sami with care providers, is that older people with a South Sami background do not usually request or expect care providers who speak South Sami , and this might be because of earlier colonisation processes that still exist due to the fact that South Sami care receivers are treated like other care receivers in, for example, home nursing care . Related to our result, this can be an explanation for why so few participants in our study requested care providers speaking South Sami when providing care for them in the future.…”

“…Being old and Sami might imply several challenges, for example not being able to participate in previous activities such as hunting or reindeer herding, and this can lead to less contact with family members and greater loneliness and isolation . Being a minority within a minority as the South Sami population is can influence health negatively, where the older Sami can be specifically vulnerable .…”

“…Some older South Sami people receiving home nursing care feel that they are valued less than the majority population . Additionally, the South Sami care receivers can be exposed to an ongoing and subtle colonisation, because their cultural background is not considered .…”

“…Some older South Sami people receiving home nursing care feel that they are valued less than the majority population . Additionally, the South Sami care receivers can be exposed to an ongoing and subtle colonisation, because their cultural background is not considered . Providing care to older South Sami people can also cause challenges for the nurses in home nursing care because the older South Sami can have different views regarding things like time and regarding knowledge about diseases .…”

‘The same care providers over time who make individual adjustments and have competence’ Older South Sami People in Sweden's expectations of home nursing care

“…An interview study with 10 older South Sami people receiving home nursing care revealed feelings of being less valued than the majority population. The same study revealed the ongoing subtle colonisation that the South Sami are still exposed to, and they are treated as other Norwegians and their cultural background is not considered . Another study by Ness, Hellzen and Enmarker showed that nurses in home nursing care had trouble understanding the culture regarding the South Sami.…”