Exploring lived experiences of health and dementia through poetic inquiry

This portfolio thesis consists of three parts. Part one is a systematic literature review, part two is an empirical paper and part three forms the supporting appendices. Together, they offer an exploration of the use of poetic inquiry in health research, particularly in dementia research. Part One: A systematic literature review that explored the procedures, rationales, strengths and limitations associated with the use of poetic inquiry in health research. The review identified 12 articles. Using a metamethod approach, it was found that poetic inquiry was used during data collection, analysis and dissemination in health research. A narrative synthesis highlighted the added value and limitations of using these methods, which are discussed in relation to their implications for wider use. Part Two: An empirical study that explored the meaning and experience of hope by people living with dementia. People with dementia submitted self-written poems on hope through voluntary sampling. Their poems underwent thematic analysis, and three main themes are reported in the findings. The study highlighted that hope serves a unique and protective function for people with dementia, that people with dementia have the capacity to experience hope, and that social interaction plays an important role in the experiences of hope by people with dementia. Implications of these findings in relation to future research and dementia care are discussed. Part Three: Appendices providing supporting documentation for the systematic literature review and empirical paper. Reflective and epistemological statements are also provided