A Thousands Words: The NHoF Photography of Stephanie Ewens

Posted by Melissa Withers on October 31, 2008

In building our relationship with Tockwotton Home, the assisted living and nursing care facility that has become the physical home of the NHoF lab, the team had to move in unexpected directions to make the connections they needed to gather a truly authentic, first person perspective on experiences related to personal care, incontinence, mobility and mental health.

Our work in the nursing home and assisted living environment has emphasized the need for a very intimate, informal, and not highly structured observational approach. We're in the homes of the residents, not just a facility. To truly understand what is happening in residents lives we have had to go far beyond traditional ethnographic research. We've become part of the residents lives in a way that allows them to open up to us about the most intimate and profound aspects of their lives.

Photography has played an unexpected and profound role in this process. In addition, photography from the project has opened up a powerful channel of communication with NHoF lab partners and the BIF community.

With help from team member Stephanie Ewens, phase I of the NHoF lab included the creation of a body of photographic work that captures not only the experiences of everyday life at Tockwotton Home, but the spirit and personalities of the people living there.

Stephanie is a documentary photographer based in Providence, Rhode Island. She began her photographic career in California studying under photojournalist and writer Ken Kobre at San Francisco State University after receiving a B.A. in Economics from Santa Clara University. This spring she completed the graduate program at The Salt Institute for Documentary Studies for Photography. Her images have appeared in many local and national publications. Her work also includes editorial, commercial, and documentary photography and underscores her interest and ability to tell other people’s stories through images.

Stephanie’s work in the NHoF lab speaks for itself in its honesty and clarity and is a powerful reminder that at the center of the “system” of eldercare are human beings who deserve the best support services and care we have to offer.