A narrative exploration of the meaning of companion animals throughout the lives of non-institutionalized elderly widows living alone
The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of companion animals throughout the lives of non-institutionalized elderly widows living alone. Three widows ranging in age from 70 to 85 were recruited from friends and acquaintances for participation in this study. The meaning of companion an...
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| Language: | English |
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2009
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/2429/5100 |
| Summary: | The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of companion animals throughout the
lives of non-institutionalized elderly widows living alone. Three widows ranging in age from
70 to 85 were recruited from friends and acquaintances for participation in this study. The
meaning of companion animals in their lives was studied by using a narrative approach. The
data was analyzed for emerging themes and integrated into a list of common themes of the
meaning of companion animals. The results of this study will hopefully assist people in
understanding the meaning and value of companion animals to non-institutionalized elderly
widows living alone. |
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