Dignity and older people: The voice of professionals (original) (raw)
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Dignity: The voice of older people
Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, 2005
This paper reports the findings of 89 focus groups and 18 individual interviews (involving 391 older people in 6 European countries) that were held to explore how older people view human dignity in their lives. Participants were all aged over 60 years and 25% were aged 80+ years. They were from a range of educational, social and economic backgrounds. 72% were women and 17% were living in residential or nursing homes.There was substantial agreement about the meaning and experience of dignity in older people's everyday lives. It was seen as a highly relevant and important concept, enhancing self‐esteem, self‐worth and well‐being. Three major themes were identified: respect and recognition; participation and involvement; and dignity in care.The theoretical model of human dignity developed in the project was reflected in many of the findings from the empirical data. Of particular importance and relevance was the notion of ‘dignity of personal identity’, not least because it is perha...
Older people’s views of dignity and how it can be promoted in a hospital environment
Journal of Clinical Nursing, 2009
Aim. The study investigated the lived experiences of older patients who had been in hospital, to explore their views on dignity and the factors which promote dignity. Background. The UK government's new ambition for old age (New Ambition for Old Age: Next Steps in implementing the National Service Framework for Older People: A Report from Professor Ian Philip, DH) states that older people should be treated with dignity. The dignity in Care Campaign ('Dignity in Care' Public Survey, October 2006: Report of the Survey, DH) highlighted the need to raise staff's awareness and understanding of dignity. Design. A purposive sample of older people took part in semi-structured interviews which focussed on their recent experiences of hospital admission. Qualitative data analysis was used. Method. Ten participants aged 73-83 were interviewed by a nurse researcher at home. All of the participants had an unplanned admission and were discharged home.
Reflections on the Function of Dignity in the Context of Caring for Old People
Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, 2007
This article accepts the proposition that old people want to be treated with dignity and that statements about dignity point to ethical duties that, if not independent of rights, at least enhance rights in ethically important ways. In contexts of policy and law, dignity can certainly have a substantive as well as rhetorical function. However, the article questions whether the concept of dignity can provide practical guidance for choosing among alternative approaches to the care of old people. The article explores the paradoxical relationship between the apparent lack of specific content in many conceptions of dignity and the broad utility that dignity appears to have as a concept expressive of shared social understandings about the status of old people.
A concept analysis of dignity for older adults
Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2004
Journal of Advanced Nursing 48(1), 76-83 A concept analysis of dignity for older adults Background. Human dignity is an essential value of professional nursing education as well as a component of the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics. Nurses are exhorted to treat patients with dignity, and older adults want to be treated with dignity and die with dignity. Although dignity, particularly the dignity of older adults, is often discussed in the health care literature, its meaning is not always clear. Aim. The aim of this paper is to describe a concept analysis to develop a definition of dignity in older adults. Methods. Data were collected using a literature review and five focus groups composed of older adults. The literature provided data about professionals' ideas of dignity and the focus groups provided qualitative data about the nature of dignity in older people. The literature review and focus groups were carried out concurrently, followed by synthesis of the findings. Findings. Dignity is an inherent characteristic of being human, it can be subjectively felt as an attribute of the self, and is made manifest through behaviour that demonstrates respect for self and others. Dignity must be learned, and an individual's dignity is affected by the treatment received from others. Conclusions. A behavioural definition of dignity was constructed and this could provide the theoretical basis for nurses to develop interventions that foster dignity for older people.
BMC Research Notes, 2015
Background: Whilst the past decade has seen a growing emphasis placed upon ensuring dignity in the care of older people this policy objective is not being consistently achieved and there appears a gap between policy and practice. We need to understand how dignified care for older people is understood and delivered by the health and social care workforce and how organisational structures and policies can promote and facilitate, or hinder, the delivery of such care. Methods: To achieve our objective of understanding the facilitators and to the delivery of dignified care we undertook a survey with health and social care professionals across four NHS Trusts in England. Participants were asked provide free text answers identifying any facilitators/barriers to the provision of dignified care. Survey data was entered into SPSSv15 and analysed using descriptive statistics. These data provided the overall context describing staff attitudes and beliefs about dignity and the provision of dignified care. Qualitative data from the survey were transcribed verbatim and categorised into themes using thematic analysis. Results: 192 respondents were included in the analysis. 79 % of respondents identified factors within their working environment that helped them provide dignified care and 68 % identified barriers to achieving this policy objective. Facilitators and barriers to delivering dignified care were categorised into three domains: 'organisational level'; 'ward level' and 'individual level'. Within the these levels, respondents reported factors that both supported and hindered dignity in care including 'time' , 'staffing levels' , training' , ' 'ward environment' , 'staff attitudes' , 'support' , 'involving family/ carers' , and 'reflection'. Conclusion: Facilitators and barriers to the delivery of dignity as perceived by health and social care professionals are multi-faceted and range from practical issues to interpersonal and training needs. Thus interventions to support health and social care professionals in delivering dignified care, need to take a range of issues into account to ensure that older people receive a high standard of care in NHS Trusts.
Preserving dignity in caring for older adults: a concept analysis
Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2007
Title. Preserving dignity in caring for older adults: a concept analysis Aim. This paper is a report of a concept analysis of the meaning of preserving dignity. Background. Preserving dignity, especially when caring for older adults, is essential when giving nursing care. There is a lack of clarity about what kinds of caring activities lead to preserved dignity. Method. Data were collected using several databases (CINAHL, Age Info, Libris, Medline, Pub Med, Psyc INFO and Blackwell Synergy) covering the years 1990-2005. The keywords used were 'dignity', 'human dignity', 'preserving dignity', 'elderly', 'aged', combined with 'patients/persons', 'caring relation' and 'nursing'. The analysis covered 53 articles, dissertations, reports and textbooks. Findings. Dignity may be defined as a concept that relates to basic humanity. Dignity consists of inherent and external dimensions, which are common for all humans and at the same time are unique for each person, relating to social and cultural aspects. The attributes of preserving dignity are individualized care, control restored, respect, advocacy and sensitive listening. Antecedents are professional knowledge, responsibility, reflection and non-hierarchical organization. The consequences are strengthening life spirit, an inner sense of freedom, self-respect and successful coping. Conclusion. Preserving an older adult's dignity is complex. By using the attributes in, for example, nursing documentation, the action and value of preserving dignity could be made visible as a professional nursing activity.
The meaning of dignity for older adults: A meta-synthesis
Nursing Ethics
Dignified care is a central issue in the nursing care of older adults. Nurses are expected to treat older adults with dignity, and older adults wish to be treated in a dignified manner. Researchers have recommended investigating the concept of dignity based on specific contexts and population groups. This meta-synthesis study aims to explore the understandings of dignity from the perspective of older adults in the Nordic countries. Synthesising findings from qualitative studies on older adults’ experiences of dignity has provided important insight into what can be essential for dignified care in a Nordic context. The importance of visibility and recognition for the experience of dignity is an overarching theme in all the studies. The participants’ descriptions mostly implicated an existence dominated by a lack of recognition. The older adults do not feel valued as people or for their contribution to society and strive to tone down their illnesses in an attempt to become more visible...
BMC research notes, 2014
Despite well established national and local policies championing the need to provide dignity in care for older people, there continues to be a wealth of empirical evidence documenting how we are failing to deliver this. While we have evidence as to what older people and their relatives understand by the term 'dignified care' we have less insight into the perspectives of staff regarding their understanding of this key policy objective. This paper aimed to explore the meaning of dignified care from the perspective of health and social care professionals' working with older people. In-depth interviews and focus groups with health and social care professionals were carried out across four NHS Trusts in England, as part of a larger study, to investigate how dignified care for older people is understood and delivered. A total of 48 health professionals took part in in-depth interviews and 33 health and social care professionals participated in one of eight focus groups. Health...