Madden, MT (2015) The ghost of Nora Batty: a qualitative exploration of the impact of footwear, bandaging and hosiery interventions in chronic wound care. Chronic Illness. ISSN 1745-9206
Abstract
Abstract Objective: To explore the impact of footwear, bandaging and hosiery interventions in the everyday lives of women and men undergoing treatment for chronic, complex wounds in a city in England, UK. Methods: This study draws on data generated in semi-structured interviews with patients exploring outcomes and impacts of undergoing treatment for leg and foot ulcers undertaken as part of a UK National Institute for Health Research funded study. Footwear, bandaging and hosiery are explored here as aspects of material culture, not only in functional terms as a treatment supporting or hindering healing but also as part of the means by which people receiving treatment for two of the most common complex, chronic wounds, leg ulcers and foot ulcers, negotiate and understand their embodied selves in everyday life. Findings: Physical and social discomfort associated with interventions can lead to ambivalence about effectiveness. Not being able to dress appropriately impacts on the ability of people to feel comfortable and take part in special occasions and everyday events. In this context, the removal of bandaging or refusal to wear support hosiery which may be viewed as ‘non-compliance’ by a health professional may feel like a strategy of self-care or self-preservation from a patient perspective. Discussion: The study of material culture explores how inanimate objects work and how they are worked with in carrying out social functions, regulating social relations and giving symbolic meaning to human activity. The interviews show some of the ways in which footwear, hosiery and bandaging play a role in controlling the boundaries between the private (wounded and potentially socially unacceptable smelly, leaky, embodied), self and the public presentation of self.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | (c) 2015, SAGE Publications. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Chronic Illness. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy |
Keywords: | Wound care; material culture; qualitative research; chronic illness; self- care |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Medicine and Health (Leeds) > School of Healthcare (Leeds) > Nursing Adult (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 02 Feb 2015 12:13 |
Last Modified: | 20 Jan 2018 11:44 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1742395314566824 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | SAGE Publications |
Identification Number: | 10.1177/1742395314566824 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:82723 |