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Selected Publication:
Schuettengruber, G.
End of life - Care Dependency - Old Age
Doktoratsstudium der Sozial- und Wirtschaftswissenschaften; Gesundheits- und Pflegewissenschaft; [ Dissertation ] Medizinische Universität Graz; 2022. pp. 137
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- Authors Med Uni Graz:
- Advisor:
- Großschädl Franziska
- Lohrmann Christa
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- Abstract:
- End of life is a frequently used term in research and practice but has been unclear in its meaning. Care dependency is a clearly defined concept, but has not been described for individuals at their end of life. Both – end of life and care dependency - are primarily experienced in old age. The end of life, in particular when experienced in old age, is often preceded by care dependency. The overall aim of this thesis was to analyze and define the term end of life, to describe care dependency at the end of life and in old age as well as to investigate attitudes towards old age. The term end of life was analyzed and described by conducting a concept analysis. The definition was created by means of a Delphi Study. Care dependency at the end of life and in old age was described by performing a secondary data analysis. The attitudes toward old age were investigated using a cross-sectional study. For the concept of end of life, the attributes clinical status/physical symptoms, psychosocial symptoms time and dignity emerged. The transition into the end-of-life phase should be recognized appropriately and in a timely manner by health professionals in order to ensure the provision of adequate end-of-life care. The end of life is defined as a process which requires a holistic approach and, consequently, meets physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs of the respective individuals. A high degree of care dependency was observed at the end of life. The risk of high care dependency at the end of life is also increased by certain underlying diseases, for example dementia. With regard to attitudes toward old age, people aged 80 years and older are mainly attributed as care dependent and in poor health. However, this is not necessarily the case, if they are not affected by dementia or hemiparesis and/or stroke. The description and the definition of the concept of end of life may support health professionals to better identify the end-of-life phase. The integration of the holistic aspect in the description of the concept as well as in the definition underlines the importance of this aspect during the last phase of life. The increase of care dependency can be an indicator for an individual’s transition into the end-of-life phase, but results show this transition might be more difficult to identify in individuals affected by dementia due to their already pre-existing high care dependency. Care dependency at the end of life is high, but this is not always true for old age, in particular in individuals without a severe disease.