Andersson Magdalena, Hallberg Ingalill R, Edberg Anna-Karin
Department of Health Sciences, Division of Gerontology and Caring Sciences, P.O. Box 157, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden.
Int J Nurs Stud. 2008 Jun;45(6):818-28. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2007.04.003. Epub 2007 May 30.
Old people's life situation when receiving municipal help and care in their last period of life is sparsely investigated from their own perspective.
The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of aspects that bring about a good life in the last phase of life among people (75+ years) receiving municipal care.
Older people living in a municipality in Southern Sweden being 75 years or older, receiving help and/or care from the municipality, and having a life-threatening disease and/or receiving palliative care were asked to participate. In all 17 people, 10 women and 7 men, aged 78-100 years were included.
Qualitative interviews, with the emphasis on their present life situation especially what brought about a good life, were performed. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis.
The experience was interpreted to be Turning inwards to come to peace with the past, the present and approaching death while being trapped by health complaints. Six categories embraced the experience of aspects that constitute a good life in the last phase of life: Maintaining dignity, Enjoying small things, Feelings of "being at home", Being in the hands of others, trying to adjust, Still being important for other people and Completing life while facing death.
This study confirm theories suggesting that the last phase of life in old age meant focusing inwards, reflecting on the entire life as a way of completing it as well as enjoying small things and also viewing oneself in the perspective of contributing to the future. It also indicated that this phase of life meant being trapped by health complaints and functional limitations. The struggle to maintaining dignity as opposed to being in the hands of others implies that the concept of palliative care may be useful as a framework for providing nursing care to very old people, especially at the end of life.
从老年人自身角度对其在生命末期接受市政帮助和照料时的生活状况进行的调查较少。
本研究旨在调查接受市政照料的75岁及以上老年人在生命最后阶段实现美好生活的各方面体验。
邀请了居住在瑞典南部某自治市、年龄在75岁及以上、接受市政帮助和/或照料、患有危及生命的疾病和/或接受姑息治疗的老年人参与研究。共纳入17人，其中10名女性和7名男性，年龄在78至100岁之间。
进行定性访谈，重点关注他们当前的生活状况，尤其是带来美好生活的因素。采用定性内容分析法对访谈进行分析。
这种体验被解读为在被健康问题困扰的同时，内心转向与过去、现在和即将到来的死亡达成和解。六个类别涵盖了构成生命最后阶段美好生活的各方面体验：维护尊严、享受小事、“在家”的感觉、依赖他人、努力适应、对他人仍很重要以及面对死亡时完成人生。
本研究证实了一些理论，这些理论表明老年生命的最后阶段意味着关注内心，反思整个人生以完成人生，同时享受小事，并从为未来做贡献的角度看待自己。研究还表明，这一生命阶段意味着被健康问题和功能限制所困扰。与依赖他人相对，维护尊严的挣扎意味着姑息治疗的概念可能有助于为高龄老人，尤其是在生命末期，提供护理的框架。
