|
|
Prejudice of some geriatric patients and their relatives against hospitalization at the long-term care unit of the Tábor hospital.
BIDMONOVÁ, Alena
Basic theoretical background The opening parts deals with the issues of old age and characterize aging and old age in general. It specifies changes and needs of the old age, acceptance of the old age and describes a senior as a patient. The next part describes communication in general and specifics of communication with seniors and their relatives. The theory is then focused on the most frequent old age diseases, their specifics and on nursing care typically provided at a long-term care unit. Special attention is paid to nursing rehabilitation, palliative care and treatment of patients with pains. An insight into approach of a nurse to provision of nursing care to seniors is also important. The other part deals with health-social services provided to patients at the long-term care unit (LTC). Chapters on personality of a nurse caring about geriatric patients, on nursing ethics and the basic points of Seniors' Rights Charter close the theoretical part. The aim of the thesis The first aim of the thesis is to find out the reasons why geriatric patients refuse hospitalization at aftercare wards. The second aim is to determine why patients' relatives are afraid of hospitalization at LTC. The third aim is to determine whether the reasons for refusing hospitalization are substantiated or whether they are just baseless prejudice. Applied methods Qualitative research form, the method of interview was applied to the research. Data collection was performed by means of semi-structured interviews with geriatric patients and their family members. Three areas of interviews were applied to the research. The patients were first asked at the beginning of hospitalization. The second interview was performed with the same patients after some time of hospitalization, when they were already able to assess quality of the care provided. The third area of research questions was aimed at senior's family members during hospitalization at LTC. The interviews were analysed and categorized. The selection of respondents was intentional, oriented at patients and their families that first refused hospitalization at LTC for some reasons, but finally they were hospitalized. The research sample consisted of 6 patients and 6 members of their families. Results The results of the research have shown that geriatric patients mostly refuse hospitalization at long-term care units as they do not know the nature of the department. Patients themselves refuse hospitalization more often than their family members. Patients have incorrect ideas of the department caused by ignorance or maybe based on negative experience of people around them. Only when the respondents had used to the new environment of the LTC and had got familiarized with it they were able to assess the nursing care quality independently. The respondents and their families appreciated individual approach of the healthcare staff, complex nursing care, rehabilitation care, services of social workers as well as voluntary activity performed at the LTC. Already during hospitalization the patients admitted that they had had negative prejudice against long-term care unit not backed by negative personal experience. Respondents' families did not refuse hospitalization; they mostly welcomed it because of provision of care, professional rehabilitation, self-sufficiency improvement and compensation of health condition of their senior. Conclusion This bachelor thesis focuses on the problems and specifics of the care of geriatric patients that a nurse of a long-term care unit faces every day. Particular outputs from the thesis will be integrated into a lecture for LTC staff that will be presented at an operation meeting. The results may help the healthcare staff of the long-term care unit as feedback for continuous improvement of healthcare quality.
|
guest ::
