# Older persons’ lived experiences of being playful in nursing home settings – a phenomenological reflective lifeworld research study

## TL;DR

This study explores how older adults in nursing homes experience playfulness and how it contributes to their well-being and sense of dignity.

## Contribution

The study introduces a phenomenological understanding of playfulness in older adults within Scandinavian nursing home contexts.

## Key findings

- Playfulness is linked to an inner dynamic life force that enhances well-being in older adults.
- Four constituents of playfulness include adapting to bodily changes and navigating dependency.
- Institutional constraints and aging influence how playfulness manifests in nursing home residents.

## Abstract

Being playful and having the capability to play are considered fundamental aspects of being human and are closely linked to well-being in adulthood. Despite the health-promoting potential, being playful has, to our knowledge, not been explored in Scandinavian contexts in relation to older persons with functional impairments, such as those living in nursing homes.

This study, therefore, aims to explore older persons’ lived experiences of being playful in nursing homes, to gain an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon and to contribute knowledge that may support person-centred care and well-being.

This phenomenological study is grounded in a reflective lifeworld research approach. Lifeworld interviews were conducted with 15 older persons aged 68–100 years.

The essential meaning of the phenomenon emerges as getting in touch with an inner dynamic life force that enables and enhances well-being. This meaning is further illuminated through four constituents: engaging in timeless inner wanderings, adapting to bodily change, opening towards belonging, and navigating in a state of dependency.

In older persons´ playful mode of being, the inner dynamic life force opens up to a profound sense of existential well-being. However, ageing, bodily changes, and institutional constraints shape how playfulness is expressed and manifested in the lifeworld, thereby influencing well-being and human dignity. Taken together, these findings point to the potential value of acknowledging playfulness in future research and care practice as a fundamental aspect of being human and a contributor to both well-being and human dignity.