The experiences of place: Veterans with dementia making meaning of their environments
Little research has examined how older veterans view the long-term care facility as place and how they make meaning of their experiences within specific places. This study examined seven older veterans’ meanings of place within the cognitive support unit of a veteran's hospital and in a summer camp setting. In the facility, the environment was interpreted as restrictive. At camp, the environment was interpreted as freeing. Each of the environments was experienced within the horizons of meaning of residents’ lives [Gubrium, J.F., 1993. Speaking of Life: Horizons of Meaning for Nursing Home Residents. Aldine de Gruyter, Hawthorne, NY.]. What was evident here was that the experiences in both places, both in the moment and through horizons of meaning, contributed to how residents created a sense of place in these two distinct environments.
Abstract: The unique demands of military life can adversely impact romantic relationships; however, research has mainly focused on these adverse outcomes at one-time point, overlooking changes over time or potential positive outcomes. Using a subsample of 3,845 male and female military personnel and veterans from a large UK dataset, this study examined positive and negative changes in relationship satisfaction between two-time points (2007–2009; 2014–2016). Most participants reported no change in their relationship satisfaction, suggesting stability − 8% reported a positive change and 10% a negative change. Positive change was associated with being in a long-term relationship, alcohol misuse remission, and persistent alcohol misuse. Negative change was associated with the onset of mental health problems (probable PTSD, CMD, or alcohol misuse) and having children under 18. Some factors, like increasing age, childhood family relationship adversity, and mental health problems, were associated with both positive and negative changes in relationship satisfaction. This study highlights the complexity of factors associated with relationship satisfaction among military personnel and veterans, with some experiencing positive changes, as well as negative changes over time.