Conditioning factors for nurses to defend the autonomy of the elderly on the terminality of life

Abstract

Objective: to understand the meanings attributed by nurses about conditions that interfere in defending of the elderly’s autonomy on the terminality of life in the context of hospitalization. Method: qualitative and exploratory study, which applied the Grounded Theory. Data were collected between November 2016 and May 2017, in the internal medicine wards of a hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, through non-participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Three sample groups composed of ten nurses, eight doctors, and 15 nursing technicians were investigated. Results: the conditions are related to the medical power, subordination of nurses, family influences; the functional decline of the elderly; and biomedical model. Final considerations: the elderly’s autonomy is veiled and violated since their abilities are subjugated, and the family’s will and professional paternalism may prevail. However, this right must guide contemporary care models and integrate palliative care.

Association between common mental disorders and quality of life in older adults

“…Autonomy concerns the ability or freedom of older adults to make decisions and experience their old age autonomously and independently (18) , deciding aspects that they believe are best for them and that are in accordance with their social, cultural and religious values (19)(20) . Therefore It is an essential concept because it involves issues related to human dignity, regardless of health conditions (17) , that is, the exercise of autonomy is a right guaranteed, even to older adults in conditions of dependence (20) and in palliative care (19) . Our results show that, regardless of the suspicion of CMD, older adults had better QoL in the sensory skills facets, corroborating a study (21) and diverging from another (22) , in which a better perception of QoL in the intimacy facet was identified (22) .…”