title: [Exploration of life experiences of an aged woman in a military housing community through reminiscing on photos].
abstract: Reminiscence therapy helps elders recall memories of old times through activities designed to achieve self-healing. The qualitative case in this research was a 70 year-old woman who had lived in a military village for 40 years. Semi-structured questionnaires were used for the interview and data was recorded and transcribed word for word. Analytical methods used the three major patterns of reminiscing over objects, vertical and horizontal life. In reminiscing over objects, the author performed interconnected analysis using selected objects that were beloved and/or had special meaning to the subject. In the perspective of vertical life, the author explored the subject's life experiences through each life stage (childhood, adolescence, middle age, and aged). Themes examined included the Confucian ethical code and patriarch, marriage, economic life, and living alone with loneliness. In the perspective of horizontal life, the author described and analyzed special events in the subject's life, including themes of illness and death, serving in the KMT (Kuomintang) political party and women's organizations, and the contribution of medical treatment. Life experience stories from the subject's four decades living in a military housing community was shared through personal photos. Such a process was targeted to help integrate the life experience of an aged woman in a military housing community and confirm the meaning, value, and contribution of her own life.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Fooyin University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC. ns126@mail.fy.edu.tw
authors.forename: Ya-Lie
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Ku
authors.forename: Chao-Kuang
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Ku
authors.forename: Ju-Li
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ku
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D011939:Mental Recall; D008889:Military Personnel; D036301:Qualitative Research