Keeping the Connection Alive With Tender Care and Common Sense: A Phenomenological Study on Daughters’ Experiences of Having a Mother in a Nursing Home

Abstract

The relationship between mother and daughter is exceptional when it comes to closeness and its impact on their whole life. Thus, a mother’s move to a nursing home is pivotal for both of them. The aim of this interpretative phenomenological study, using the Vancouver School of Doing Phenomenology, was to explore daughters’ experience of having a mother in a nursing home, its impact on the maternal relationship, and the daughters' need for education and support. Data were collected by 21 semi-structured interviews with 12 women who had mothers living in a nursing home. Keeping the connection alive with tender care and common sense encapsulates the interrelation between the daughters’ urge to hold on to the mother–daughter relationship and the rare consideration of education and support from health professionals. Responsibility and sense of duty paired with relief because the mother is in a safe place were accompanied by the daughters’ need for confirmation that the mother is well taken care of.