Kontakt 2005, 7(1-2):33-36 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2005.007

Dignity of elderly people and health careNursing

Štefan Krajčík
SZU v Bratislave, katedra a klinika geriatrie

Elderly people form a great majority of clients of most clinical disciplines. They are a very vulnerable group, and in old age, there are frequent situations, which can present negative impacts on the human dignity. Of several concepts of the dignity, that one is most suitable for supporting professions, which is based on the awareness of being a part of the humankind. It is of importance that dignity must not be misinterpreted as a value and its survival. The dignity is a starting point for taking care of a "non-perspective" patient and an important part of taking care of elderly people with making them possible to survive their own dignity. In this way, the quality of taking care will be improved without further increasing of costs as well as the attitude of the personal taking care of elderly people to their jobs. The target of the existing EU project "Dignity and elderly citizens of Europe" is to explain factors that affect respecting of the dignity of elderly people and survival of their own dignity.

Keywords: dignity; old age; health care

Published: June 29, 2005  Show citation

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Krajčík Š. Dignity of elderly people and health care. Kontakt. 2005;7(1-2):33-36. doi: 10.32725/kont.2005.007.
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