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Aim To present alternative stories of ageing that countered the prevailing negative stereotypes of older people by interviewing centenarians about their lives. Method Sixteen healthy UK centenarian volunteers were interviewed in their place of residence. A story draft was produced using the interview recording and verbatim transcript. The four researchers collaborated to generate a consensus storyline which was returned to the centenarian and their significant other for their corrections, additions, validation and consent to publish using their own names. Findings Centenarians elected to talk about living as independently as possible, their continuing growth and development and their ongoing close relationships. Difficulties and loss were considered to be 'part of life' indicated by comments such as: 'accept whatever life brings', 'just plod on', 'do what you can to make things better and then move on'. Conclusion The centenarians present a positive picture of ageing, which counteracts negative stereotypes. Aspects of successful ageing relate to lifestyle and environment. Centenarians have felt 'personalised' through attention gained as part of the storytelling process, therefore older people may feel valued through listening and responding in this way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to show the way in which the decision trail of a qualitative research process can be maintained. It is argued that the trustworthiness (rigour) of a study may be established if the reader is able to audit the events, influences and actions of the researcher. The actual study containing the recording of this decision trail aimed to express the concerns of older patients who were admitted to the acute care sector. The study took place in two care of the elderly wards in a 1000-bed National Health Service hospital in the UK, in 1991. Eventually, 14 patients were interviewed, each on several occasions, and their concerns are expressed in themes, namely: routine geriatric style of care, depersonalization, care deprivation and geriatric segregation. I describe the preparations that were undertaken before patient interviews could commence. The literature recording the process of the interviewer's experience as data in qualitative research is scarce. I show the researcher's participation in making the data as part of an existential phenomenological research process. Existential phenomenology relies on recording influences while generating data such as significant literature, media reports, my value position and journal data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present the findings from the second of four Participatory Action Research (PAR) groups with men and women who have been diagnosed with type two diabetes. The findings of the men's group are reported here. People who have received a diagnosis of diabetes must immediately absorb a great deal of information about how to control their diabetes, care for themselves and make lifestyle changes. In this study, we have asked men about this transition and about what it is like to live with diabetes. We aimed to understand how people with type two diabetes incorporate chronic illness into their lives. Utilizing the processes of PAR, we created a conducive environment for the voices of people with diabetes to be clearly heard in relation to their health. Men who live with type two diabetes met with a researcher and two Clinical Nurse Consultants, for two hours, once a week, for four weeks, during November 1998. The men expressed that diabetes had made a positive impact on their lifestyle; they viewed diabetes as part of life and not as an illness. Men chose foods with confidence; their concern about potential complications meant they chose to take better care of themselves. They were confident in their knowledge of diabetes, and while they took responsibility for themselves, being supported by their partner was helpful in managing their diabetes. They managed their life with diabetes by minimizing the intrusiveness of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on an existential phenomenological study carried out in a care of elderly people setting in a 1000-bed hospital in the United Kingdom. Fourteen participants were interviewed, each on several occasions. Two themes derived from these narratives are discussed, revealing negative experiences which are related to feelings of powerlessness. These two themes, routine geriatric style and segregation, are shown to arise from the history and culture of the wards and are shown to result in care deprivation and depersonalization. Patients' individual needs are ignored as they become the objects of inflexible routines within health care practice. In order to understand the situation, the history of care of older people and the biomedical construction of aging are examined. It is concluded that what is needed is a wider social and political movement which opposes ageism and challenges ageist stereotypes. In addition, in health care there is a need for a review of the routine geriatric style of care and of segregation based on age and a social gerontology programme for nurse education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to show the way in which the decision trail of a qualitative research process can be maintained. It is argued that the trustworthiness (rigour) of a study may be established if the reader is able to audit the events, influences and actions of the researcher. The actual study containing the recording of this decision trail aimed to express the concerns of older patients who were admitted to the acute care sector. The study took place in two care of the elderly wards in a 1000-bed National Health Service hospital in the UK, in 1991. Eventually, 14 patients were interviewed, each on several occasions, and their concerns are expressed in themes, namely: routine geriatric style of care, depersonalization, care deprivation and geriatric segregation. I describe the preparations that were undertaken before patient interviews could commence. The literature recording the process of the interviewer's experience as data in qualitative research is scarce. I show the researcher's participation in making the data as part of an existential phenomenological research process. Existential phenomenology relies on recording influences while generating data such as significant literature, media reports, my value position and journal data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, research guided by the principles of fourth-generation evaluation, which has negotiation as its centre, will be scrutinized. The role of stakeholders will be discussed with reference to negotiation issues. Throughout this discussion, observations will be based on the actual process of conducting three project evaluations in this tradition. Attention will be drawn to the consequences of negotiating at an uneven table.