Title: Spirituality and Care of Dying Nursing Home Residents: Perspectives of Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Nurses and Nursing Assistants
1Kindness, Compassion and Time Quality of Care
for Frail Older People
The Ten Year Celebration of the Gerontology
Interest Group October 24th 2008
2Dr Angela KyddSenior Lecturer, University of the
West of Scotland
- What Older People Want from Care
- Voices from friends, colleagues and family aged
74-93
3THE PURPOSE OF THE EXERCISE
- To seek the views of a selection of older people
in order to inform a textbook on the care of
older people. - The book is designed for health care
professionals and healthcare workers who are
working with, or seek to work with, older
clients. - The Care and Wellbeing of Older PeopleA Textbook
for Healthcare Students - Edited by ANGELA KYDD, TIM DUFFY and RAYMOND
DUFFY
4WHY ASK OLDER PEOPLE THEIR VIEWS?
- Issues seen as important to policy makers and
service providers are not always the issues that
are seen to be important to the people who use
the services. - People in their 70s, 80s and 90s are likely to
have had experience of good and poor care - We know that at different times in our lives we
all have different priorities
5BUT WHAT DO OLDER PEOPLE WANT IN TIMES OF NEED?
6THE QUESTIONS POSED
- What six things would you expect from a
healthcare professional? - What six things would detract from your ideal for
a health care professional?
7THE RESPONDENTS
- 50 older peoples views were sought
- 35 people responded
- 19 respondents were part of an older peoples
forum - 16 respondents were family / friends of the
editors - The ages ranged from 74-93
8THE RESULTS
- There were 7 main attributes that respondents
wanted from a health care professional - These attributes correlated directly with what
the respondents said would detract from their
ideal health care professional - A questionnaire with small response boxes was
sent out, but many people gave stories
9THE RESULTS WHAT SIX THINGS WOULD YOU EXPECT
FROM A HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL?
- A caring understanding and kind person
- A professional attitude to older people
- A patient person who will listen
- A respectful person
- A skillful and knowledgable practitioner
- Continuity of care
- A cheerful person
10WHAT PEOPLE SAID-CARING
- I want someone who understands that patients
often do not like to ask for help
11WHAT PEOPLE SAID -CARING
- I wanted to say this to the night nurse
- When you have finished putting me to bed, please
say goodnight and try to show me that I mean
something to you by taking hold of my hand or
giving me a kiss on my forehead before you leave
me. You might be the only caring contact I have
had today
12WHAT PEOPLE SAID -CARING
- Whilst caring for me, talk to me, even though
you may feel that I may not be able to reply. It
isnt always possible to know what people can
still understand
13WHAT PEOPLE SAID-PROFESSIONALISM
- I want someone to care for me who knows their
limitations and has the humility to say they do
not know what to do
14WHAT PEOPLE SAID-LISTENING
- An understanding of the difficulties of coping
with having to travel distances for appointments
which are difficult to get to especially when
the person has to rely on public transport.
15WHAT PEOPLE SAID-RESPECT
- I think they just dont care anymore when you
are old. I know this because of the way my mum
was treated, the way we my sister and brother
were treated. It was how my mother died, I will
never forget it. My mother was always
independentshe was sent to hospital because she
could not eat. We all came to see her her 3
surviving childrenMum was bad, we knew she was
dying. The staff put her in a side room, but in
the move they had lost her teeth
16- ...she was clean and all that, but she hated to
be seen without her teeth, she was proud of her
looks and she always looked good. She now looked
awful, and what made it so bad was that we
couldnt understand what she was trying to say to
us. - It still upsets me now. Mum was trying to talk
to us, she was trying to tell us something, but
to this day I do not know what that was.
17WHAT PEOPLE SAID-SKILLFUL
- Staff need to remember that the effects of
ageing on a person can be just as frustrating for
the older person as they are for those who are
looking after them.
18WHAT PEOPLE SAID-CONTINUOUS CARE
- I would like the same carers to come on a
regular basis as far as possible so that I can
learn to be comfortable with them. This will make
it easier for me to talk to them about my family
and the outside world. This will help to give me
something else to think about.
19WHAT PEOPLE SAID-CHEERFUL
- I want someone who has a sense of humour even
when mine is lacking..I remember when I was in
names hospital, there was this one cheery
little nurse, she always had a smile for everyone
and it brightened up my day. I used to look
forward to her coming on duty
20WHAT PEOPLE WANTED
- Only 2 of the 7 attributes identified as
important involved professionalism - 5 attributes centred on the human nature of
caring - Nearly all respondents related stories of good
and poor care they had received at times of
vulnerability, and the impact this had on
themselves and their families
21Implications for Practice
- In using the voices of a small number of older
people, the results demonstrate that many
perceptions of good care are grounded in positive
attitudes, sensitive interactions, inherent
kindness, professionalism with knowledge and a
respect for individuals in times of need.
22The six cs philosophy (Prof Touhy) caring,
compassionate, competent, confidential, credible
and conscientious professional
- A caring understanding and kind person
- A professional attitude to older people
- A patient person who will listen
- A respectful person
- A skillful and knowledgable practitioner
- Continuity of care
- A cheerful person
23THE GERONTOLOGY INTEREST GROUP
- The main aim of the GIG is to foster these
concepts and share good practice in the care of
older people on a continuum from healthy ageing,
times of need, frailty and end of life care.
24THANK YOU