In oldest old age (generally considered to be from 85 years onwards), personhood is often called into question, impacting well-being as a result. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, this article examines the well-being of oldest old nursing home residents at the intersections of ageism, fraying personhood and fragile social belonging in Danish nursing home care. In Denmark personhood hinges on both independence and social belonging; or “fællesskab.” We examine how these concepts are practiced in nursing home care. Taking its starting point in the distinction between the “inside world” of the nursing home and the “real world” outside, the article examines how processes of othering occur in nursing home care, imperilling resident personhood and opportunities for social belonging. We consider how oldest old residents navigate social belonging, finding it in turn life-sustaining and vexatious. We argue that tacit ageism permeates the nursing home, to the detriment of resident well-being, despite the best intentions of an aged care system that is structured to specifically maintain personhood.

中文翻译：

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模糊的人格：丹麦疗养院护理中的社会归属悖论

在最高龄（通常被认为是 85 岁以上），人格经常受到质疑，从而影响福祉。基于人种学实地调查，本文探讨了丹麦疗养院护理中年龄歧视、人格磨损和脆弱社会归属感交汇处最年长的疗养院居民的福祉。在丹麦，人格取决于独立性和社会归属感。或“fælleskab”。我们研究如何在疗养院护理中实践这些概念。本文以疗养院“内部世界”与外部“现实世界”之间的区别为出发点，探讨了疗养院护理中的“他者化”过程是如何发生的，如何危及居民的人格和社会归属感的机会。我们考虑最年长的老年居民如何驾驭社会归属感，发现它反过来维持生命却令人烦恼。我们认为，尽管老年护理系统的初衷是专门为维护人格而构建的，但默示的年龄歧视渗透到了疗养院，损害了居民的福祉。