ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with the roles that places play in the lives of older people, and with the significance of physical objects such as personal possessions and clothing. It is argued that the ways in which nurses think of places and physical objects are commonly guided by scientific disciplines such as psychology and physiology. The scientific approach regards places and personal possessions as aspects of ‘the environment’, and tends to focus more on their objective characteristics than on their meanings and significance. It is argued that the Heideggerian perspective encourages us to think in terms of meaning and significance, and research is reviewed which sees places and possessions in these terms. Particular attention is paid to:
● the phenomenon of attachment to place; ● the meaning of personal possessions and the roles they play in the well-being of the
older person; ● the importance and significance of clothing.
