Psychological nursing support for elderly patients undergoing chronic regular haemodialysis.
The elderly constitute a continuously increasing social group of the Hellenic, but also of the global population. This phenomenon is also evident in the haemodialysis patient population, which grows continually. Faced with this reality, Nursing is obliged to adapt itself and, in this effort that it is putting forward it has achieved many positive steps (geriatric nursing). It is imperative however for nursing that there is a particular way of dealing with the elderly, especially those that undergo chronic periodic haemodialysis, which regards as much the problems stemming from the disease, as it regards their grave psychological condition. The objective of our study was to develop the need for the presence of the Nephrology Nurse in the psychological support of the elderly renal patient and we have been able to define: level of communication, level of dietetic information, psycho-social condition and restrictions imposed by the disease. 30 patients (age 65-80, mean 72.92 years) were included with an observation time of 3 years, less than 60% responded positively to the efforts for psychological support, on the basis of the studied factors. The rest did not show any willingness to answer. We conclude that psychological support is of paramount importance for these patients but also that the Nephrology Nurse has not yet discovered and detected some unknown aspects of the different problems arising due to insufficient knowledge of geriatric caring.
Triantaphillopoulou
E
E
Iphou
A
A
Arvaniti
P
P
Michalopoulos
D
D
Nousis
T
T
Tserkezis
G
G
Velissari
E
E
Iphos
C
C
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D013041:Specialties, Nursing