In the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), six women with 200 years clinical experience between them were employed by different hospitals within a common Area Health Service. Independently, and unknown to each other, they advocated for patients' rights and patient safety through hospital internal escalation channels. After failing to garner satisfactory responses, these nurses were deliberately drawn together by another colleague, who without their consent or knowledge escalated their individual concerns to the media: where they were portrayed as a vigilante group of whistleblower nurses. This research explores the premise the inherent moral and ethical qualities and responsibilities of a nurse demand nurses advocate for patients. As a facet of care, this action differs fundamentally from other experiences of whistleblowing. Three rounds of in-depth interviews were audio-taped, transcribed and analysed, to provide data to address the issues associated with nurses who are labelled as whistleblowers. The study group was identified to the researcher by another nurse, who attempted to aggregate this group of nurses to release information about their patient safety and advocacy issues; to add credibility to her own concerns about patient care; and to promote through the media an image of a cohesive group of vigilante whistleblower nurses. Telling the stories and identifying the consequences of each nurse's experiences provides the key findings of this research. The set of harms identified spans not only the whistleblowing events, but also the conduct of this research, whose author is a participant observer. The major research implications and recommendations relate specifically to the role of the media in whistleblowing, the concept of advocacy and the impact of Australian law upon nurses who speak out publicly. The recommendations challenge the appropriateness of labelling nurses as whistleblowers. The survival strategies of whistleblower nurses are explored and recommendations are made to address 'mobbing' - a severe form of bullying and harassment. The concept of risk to a researcher who undertakes sensitive research is explored, and recommendations for researcher protection are defined. The nurses have survived, albeit altered personally and professionally. This is the story.

Background: As the population ages, there is considerable literature exploring the concept and global policy move towards 'active ageing'. The World Health Organization in response to the ageing population phenomenon developed an 'Active Ageing' policy framework. In Australia, governments and the aged care sector have recognised the need to plan for the future. Active ageing principles have been at the forefront of policy development and pilot programmes exploring enablement and active ageing approaches in service delivery. However, with little evidence-based research available to guide programme development and a sector in need of reform, the impact of active ageing approaches in the delivery of community aged care has been difficult to ascertain. Study Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions and understanding of community aged care case managers across New South Wales and South East Queensland of the principles of active ageing in the delivery of community aged care programmes. Study Design: This study uses social construction theory as the theoretical framework to study the perceptions of case managers of active ageing. The research methodology uses a qualitative approach through semi-structured interviews in order to provide a greater understanding of the depth and breadth of change required in the structure, function and processes for the delivery of community aged care programmes. Participants: Case managers of community aged care programmes as research participants play a central role in the delivery of community aged care and health services in the homes of older people across Australia. Outcomes: This research study has found that case manager's perceptions and understanding of active ageing lacks depth and clarity of purpose. As a result assessment and delivery change is required and there is a need for effective leadership training and professional development for staff working in the sector. It was also identified that funding and system reform is required. Conclusions: This study questions the effectiveness of the current community aged care system to encourage an active ageing approach with older people without fundamental reform of the sector. The research participants raised concerns over the current system's ability to embrace active ageing as a concept without programme change and further training and development of the workforce. It has been identified through this study that a paradigm change is required to effectively implement an active ageing approach, particularly as older people's needs become more complex.

This thesis charts a quest to learn more about older age, about self and about how older people make sense of and construct what is home for them at their time of life. Home is a central theme which transcends binaries: it is a central concept to the way people live their lives as social beings. It affects the person's sense of belonging and connection, identity and selfhood. Looking back on the period when I began this project, I can distinguish that it was a time of upheaval and transitions in my own life; a search for home, a time of endings and beginnings, of brushes with mortality and flights on eagles' wings. Thus, working reflexively, my story became an integral part of this project. Critiquing the constraints of the reductionist traditional methodologies of research, this study uses emergent, feminist post-structural and arts-based approaches to tell the stories of home of eighteen people aged 80-97 and to explore their experience of home not-home in their present 'place of living'. The approach is eclectic and draws on data from in-depth interviews, observation, casual conversations, photographs, participant and researcher art work and researcher reflexive journal-writing to describe multiple narratives of the lived experience and meaning of constructing 'home' in older age.