School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Canberra, Canberra 2601, Australia.
Aging Ment Health. 2013;17(5):571-8. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2012.751581. Epub 2013 Jan 17.
This article presents the mental health aspects of 'touch' associated with a funded research project: Avoiding 'high tech' through 'high touch' in end-stage dementia: Protocol for care at the end-of-life. These mental health aspects highlight the human need for touch that continues up until and inclusive of the final stages of life. This study was informed by Simard's (2007) 'high touch' protocol based on the End-of-Life Namaste Care programme for people with dementia. The article is situated in relation to the research project which used a three-phase mixed methods approach. Data explored in this article are derived from focus groups conducted at three residential aged care facilities located in metropolitan and regional areas of NSW, Australia. The exploration of touch vis-a-vis mental health fell under two broad themes: touch by others and touch by the person. Sub-elements of these themes comprised touch towards a physical objective, touch towards an emotional objective, touch of objects and touch of others. The overarching outcome of interconnectedness embraced environmental awareness and human and life awareness. These two broad themes, with their accompanying elements, express the essential nature of mental health as a reciprocal connectedness, with reciprocal impacts on both those people with advanced dementia and their carers.
本文介绍了与资助研究项目相关的“触摸”的心理健康方面：在终末期痴呆症中避免“高科技”而采用“高接触”：临终关怀方案。这些心理健康方面强调了人类对触摸的需求，这种需求一直持续到生命的最后阶段，甚至包括生命的最后阶段。本研究是基于西蒙德（Simard）（2007 年）的“高接触”协议，该协议基于针对痴呆症患者的临终 Namaste 关怀计划。本文的研究项目采用了三阶段混合方法，以此为背景。本文所探讨的数据来自澳大利亚新南威尔士州大都市和地区的三个养老院进行的焦点小组。本文主要探讨了触摸与心理健康的关系，包括两个主题：他人的触摸和个人的触摸。这些主题的子元素包括针对身体目标的触摸、针对情感目标的触摸、触摸物体和触摸他人。这些主题表达了心理健康的本质是相互联系的，相互影响着患有晚期痴呆症的人和他们的照顾者。
