Home-like Environment

Feeling at home is a fundamental aspect of human existence, and it is essential for the sense of self. Thus, losing one’s home is losing oneself. To feel at home through the life cycle has been described as feeling related to oneself, significant activities, significant others, significant places, significant things, and to feeling a sense of transcendence. The house’s physical structure can function as a stage for daily activities. Essential qualities of the house, for example daylight, thermal comfort, sound insulation, and the ease of maintenance, are valued for physical comfort and providing feelings of privacy, safety, freedom, and independence. A key finding in a qualitative study by Felix et al. (2015), which focused on the experience of the house as a home, was that all participants mentioned the importance of the neighbourhood for feeling at home. Clearly, the spatial design of housing, the proximity of shops, church and other services, and infrastructure largely influence mobility, self-reliance and social participation within the neighbourhood and larger community. By analysing the characteristics of different settings, the aspects of place facilitate or inhibit rehabilitation. Consequently, the place progressively mediates and is mediated by social interaction. By negotiating the gals of the rehabilitation process, various dimensions of place can relate to the power-inscribed relationships between service users, informal caregivers, and care professionals (Martin et al., 2005).

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