ABSTRACT
This part takes the first steps towards the development of a eudaemonistic theory of quality of life: a theory that draws upon hermeneutics to offer an account of what it means to be a human being, and identifies ways in which professional nurses can promote the quality of the lives of their patients and clients. It is implicit that we cannot construct a universally valid account of quality of life. According to the hermeneutical tradition of Heidegger and Gadamer, the nature of human being can never be expressed or described as a set of principles valid at all times and in all places. Instead, we must elaborate the notion of a eudaemonistic approach to quality of life by working it out in the context of the lives of the specific group of people who contributed to this study. It may, however, be valid to generalise to other populations of people, particularly if it can be shown that they share important cultural and social characteristics with the original group. Also, the following is not an exhaustive account of the features that make for a life of quality for older people living in hospitals, nursing homes and other settings apart from their own homes.
