An exploratory study of nursing home elders' museum experiences

• Main Authors: Tsao, Mu-Hwa, 曹牧驊
• Other Authors: Wanchen Liu,PhD
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/24542330425313674790

碩士 === 輔仁大學 === 博物館學研究所碩士班 === 96 === Taiwan has become an aging population society in recently years. It has great impact on policy of the care for the aged population. More and more elders choose to stay in nursing home during their later years. The museum serves as an important social education institution; however, most elders find museum as an unfriendly space for them. If museums want to become a more attractive place for elders, they need to understand elders’ museum experiences. Therefore, this study aims to explore elders’ museum experiences from Taipei Zhi-shan nursing home. From March to November in 2006, the researcher participated museum outreach program of National Palace Museum in Taipei Zhi-shan nursing home. Based on the researcher’s observation of this outreach program, the researcher divided participants into three groups: active participation, inactive participation, non-participation. From December in 2006 to October in 2007, the researcher also joined museum visiting tour arranged by the nursing home and interviewed eight interviewees of three groups. The Data of this research showed that, in eight elders’ mind, a museum is a place to connect with emotions and memories for elders; a place to hold and promote their social context; a place to learn and develop their interests. Besides, visiting museum with their families and friends is the primary participative types of those elders; however, a health problem is the major barrier for them. Base on the findings of this research, there are some suggestions imposed. For museums, they can cooperate with senior care centers to enhance diversity of museum outreach programs; provide convenient transportation service and improve infrastructures and facilities to make museum an elderly-friendly space for elders. Museum can also make a special discount to encourage people to visit museum with their elder family members. Suggestions for further research include elders form different organizations; different social, educational and economical backgrounds.