Abstract
The purpose of this study was to illustrate how patients described their experiences of physical touch within the everyday care. Eight patients were interviewed; three women and five men, all receiving medical and/or geriatric care. A phenomenologicalhermeneutic method was used in the analysis. The result showed that physical touch entailed receiving practical help in daily life, but also that physical touch did mediate an emotional message to the patients. The experiences would be different depending on the situation and on how the physical touch was carried out. The patients experience of the physical touch would entail both positive and less positive experiences. The positive experiences were described as a feeling of wellbeing, a feeling of security and a feeling of being regarded as an individual. Less positive experiences of touch consisted of the opposite, in other words: a feeling of discomfort, a feeling of dependence and a feeling of not being regarded as an individual. The patients also described occasions when the physical contact did not mediate anything at all. The stories also included descriptions of the way the staff interacted and of the experience of the care episode as a whole.