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The cooperation of family members and healthcare staff in the care of seniors in rest homes
SLADKÁ, Iveta
Abstract Old age is an inevitable part of every living being`s life. It is the final time phase of life with a lot of changes a person has to deal with. The overall physical appearance is changing, the number of wrinkles is rising, the hair turns grey, the muscular strenght is decreasing and the memory fails. Also, there are psychological and social changes taking place. Old people become emotionally unstable and their personality is changing. The characteristics of their personality is intensifying. The intensity of relationships with close ones does not usually change. On the contrary, the family importance is yet again on the rise with passing years. An old person usually keeps the important role of a parent, grandparent, perhaps even great-grandparent. Just like an old person performs an irreplaceable family role, the family performs an irreplaceable role in taking care of this old person as well. It used to be common that children took care of their old parents, nowadays` society puts self-sufficiency, independency and economic profits first. It is much easier for many families to provide their aging members with professional care rather than rearrange their own to meet their needs. Old people feel that leaving their home, their place means leaving behind the past with everything that their lives have consisted of. To enter the world of social-service facilities is a very serious matter. The employees of these facilities, as well as the family, have to realize that this change is very challenging, and they have to be especially supportive to help the elders overcome this difficult part of their lives. The purpose of this work was to find out if family members try to participate in caregiving and if they cooperative with the healthcare professionals. Two assumptions have been reached: family members take an active part in caregiving for the elders in RH (retirement homes) (A1) and (A2) family members cooperative with healthcare professionals in caregiving for the elders in RH. A quantitative research has been used to compose this practical part of Bachelor task on the topic {\clqq} Cooperation of family members witha healtcare professionals in the care of elders in RH``. The method of survey polling was use to collect all data. Observational group from RH Máj and RH ÚSP Hvízdal in České Budějovice, RH Mistra Křišťana in Prachatice and RH Hluboká nad Vltavou. There were 80 question-form handed out to RH` s clients and 100 forms to the personnel. These forms were kept anonymous and consisted of 17 questions for seniors and 13 for personnel. The results suggest that 55 clients get regular visits from their family members, 67,7 % of those questioned replied that their family members take an active role in the care for them while 40,3 % of the nurses stated that the families take an active role in the care and 33 % of nurses further stated that the families get involved in the care occasionaly. 40,3 % of the nurses confirm that the families actively seek a way to cooperate with the healthcare personnel and 75,7 % clients` answers confirm that majority of the families cooperate with the healthcare personnel. Both the assumptions have been proved correct. The result of this research can serve not only to the families with their uneasy part as caregivers but also to the families who do not take an active part in care for the senior and boost their interest in the care for the senior. At the same time I would like to appeal to the healthcare personnel and encourage them to be active in seeking a cooperation with the families.
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