For some older adults in hospice, confronting end-of-life issues is frightening. It can also be alarming for loved ones and family members. Gerontologists recommend that people who are confronting death tell stories about their lives to reveal and create meanings for themselves. Hospice team members encourage individuals to express their thoughts and feelings to enhance and solidify meaning in one's life. This qualitative study utilizes reminiscing and creativity as a way for older adults in hospice to confront end-of-life issues, strengthen relationships and solidify meaning in life. The encompassing research question asks "How does art therapy help older adults in hospice express the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of one's life?" Two other questions are asked, "In the context of hospice, what is the nature and meaning communicated by dying individuals, their loved ones and family members using reminiscing and art-making?, and "In the context of hospice, what is the nature and meaning that the created art object(s) has to the older adult, their loved ones and family members who participated in the art-making experience? Interviews were conducted with three family units. Each family unit consisted of an older adult in hospice and one of their loved ones. Interviews revealed stories about highlighted events, experiences and achievements, and an illustration was created to depict and symbolize that story. The final meeting consisted of a collaborative collage-making project depicting many of the highlighted stories, events and experiences of the older adult in hospice. The data was analyzed using grounded theory, which is also known as the constant comparative method. The results reinforce that older adults in hospice, as well as loved ones, benefited from reminiscing and creatively expressing expression, and hence it is a useful tool for individuals to solidify meaning and strengthen relationships as one confronts end-of-life issues. / A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Art Education in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2008. / March 5, 2008. / Aging, Creativity, Existentialism, Art, Death Education, Art Education, Art Therapy / Includes bibliographical references. / David Gussak, Professor Directing Dissertation; Linda Vinton, Outside Committee Member; Marcia Rosal, Committee Member; Penelope Orr, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_175677 |
| Contributors | Barrington, Catherine Alexandra (authoraut), Gussak, David (professor directing dissertation), Vinton, Linda (outside committee member), Rosal, Marcia (committee member), Orr, Penelope (committee member), Department of Art Education (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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