Etični vidik oskrbe osebe z demenco ob koncu življenja - Goršak Lovšin, Valentina (V. Goršak Lovšin, 2017)
Število dementnih oseb povsod v razvitem svetu narašča. Tisti, ki doživijo zadnji stadij bolezni, so popolnoma odvisni od drugih ljudi. Brez ustrezne oskrbe umrejo, ker v ničemer ne morejo poskrbeti zase. Niso sposobni izražati svojih potreb. V takem stanju sta vprašljivi njihovo dostojanstvo in avtonomija. Večkrat so podvrženi številnim nepotrebnim medicinskim postopkom in obravnavam, ki ne prinesejo izboljšanja stanja, temveč povečajo trpljenje. V nalogi je bila uporabljena kvantitativna in deskriptivna raziskovalna metoda s kritičnim pregledom literature. V empiričnem delu smo uporabili kvantitativno metodo zbiranja podatkov. Izvedli smo anketo, za katero smo uporabili vprašalnik, kombiniranega zaprtega in odprtega tipa. Za obdelavo podatkov smo uporabili Microsoft Office Excel program. Raziskavo smo izvedli med zdravstvenimi delavci in njihovimi sodelavci v petih slovenskih domovih za starejše in na psihiatričnem oddelku Univerzitetnega kliničnega centra v Mariboru. V raziskavo smo uvrstili 114 pravilno izpolnjenih vprašalnikov Zdravstveni delavci in sodelavci v zavodih poznajo potrebe umirajočih dementnih bolnikov, so sočutni in empatični. Smatrajo, da so dovolj kompetentni za oskrbo omenjenih bolnikov. Kljub temu jih večina meni, da potrebujejo dodatna znanja. Veliko njih čuti nemoč in stres, vendar delovnega mesta ne bi zamenjali. Kritični so do opuščanja in slabega dela sodelavcev. Sami za sebe menijo, da ravnajo vedno etično, česar pa ne morejo trditi za sodelavce. Mlajši, manj izkušeni delavci pogosteje v življenju umirajočih dementnih oseb, ne najdejo smisla, ali o njem ne razmišljajo. Določeno stopnjo rutine in okrnjene nege smo zaznali pri starejših srednjih medicinskih sestrah. Za optimalno oskrbo umirajočih dementnih oseb je primerna paliativna oskrba, ki daje odgovor na potrebe bolnikov, svojcev in poklicnih oskrbovalcev. V Sloveniji je bolniki skoraj niso deležni, tudi v tujini imajo težave z nameščanjem dementnih bolnikov v paliativno oskrbo. Delavci, ki skrbijo za umirajoče dementne bolnike, poznajo na splošno paliativno oskrbo dementnih oseb, poglobljenih znanj nimajo, kljub temu se trudijo zadovoljiti potrebe in poskrbeti za čim večje udobje. The number of people with dementia in the developed world is increasing. Those who experience the late-stage of the disease are completely dependent on other people. Without proper care they die. They are unable to express their needs. Their dignity and their autonomy are compromised during this stage. They are often subject to unnecessary medical treatments and procedures that do not improve their condition on the contrary, they induce their suffering. The quantitative and the descriptive research methods have been used in this work along with the critical analysis of the literature The survey carried out is comprised of a questionnaire with the combination of closed and open questions. The respondents to the research were healthcare workers and their coworkers from five nursing homes in Slovenia and from the Department of Psychiatry in the University Medical Centre Maribor. Healthcare workers in the institutions are familiar with the needs of the dying patients with dementia, they are compassionate and able to empathise. They believe they are competent enough to care for the mentioned patients. The majority of them claim they need additional knowledge though. Despite the fact that many of them feel helpless and experience work-related stress. They are critical of their coworkers’ poor performance and negligence. They consider themselves as being ethical, which cannot be claimed for their coworkers. Younger, less experienced workers cannot find the meaning in the lives of the dying people with dementia or do not think about it. The research findings also show a specific level of routine and poor care performance among older nurses. Palliative care in dementia is appropriate for the optimum care of the dying people with dementia as it gives answers to the needs of the patients, relatives and professional staff. The workers who take care for the dying patients with dementia are familiar with the basic palliative care in dementia. They do not possess in-depth knowledge nevertheless, they strive to satisfy their patients’ needs and provide the best comfort possible for them.