Kontakt 2007, 9(2):264-269 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2007.041

Problems of taking care of elderly and dying parentsNursing

Josef Dolista

Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích, Zdravotně sociální fakulta, katedra filozofie a etiky v pomáhajících profesích

It is not usual to use the word "task" for one's natural death. However, the reflection of the theme of the death leads to the preparation for the death and philosophy employs the concept "death as a task" in the sense that the awareness of the end of life may help to improve the quality of the contemporary life condition and one is motivated to enjoyment of his/her life. The purpose of the text presented here is also understanding of the death as a task. An analytical approach to the text processing was used, based on available domestic and foreign literature, with supplementing the knowledge by synthesis and theses of the author. The death as a "task" may be understood as an activity, which is performed when taking care of elderly parents. The author of the article presents a problem of the ever growing elderly population in the Czech Republic and problems encountered by husbands and wives when taking care of their elderly parents, for which the society has not yet been prepared. Long-term taking care of elderly parents is a situation faced by many husbands and wives, who may not be able to manage it. On the one hand, they would like to save as good conditions for their old parents as possible in the home environment and to offer them with their care and, on the other hand, this attempt sometimes results in unsurpassable difficulties, where it is necessary to decide whether and for how many months or even years they must leave their employment, and they must solve the problem of flats, when the age of the parents does not make possible their independent living any more. Sons and daughters of elderly and dying parents face a question whether they should have their dying father or mother at home or in institutional facilities. Old and dying people do not want to be abandoned and to remain alone. The hospice and palliative care plays an important role here. The decubitus prevention and regular personal hygiene in old people confined to bed and taking care of their nutrition and spiritual life calls for the permanent presence of a relative person who, however, may not be sufficiently strong to manage everything, and a collapse of this person due to many requirements may not be surprising. Taking care of elderly and dying parents is a task for the whole family and both the husband and the wife must be involved in the whole activity. The duration of the stepwise termination of the life is then decisive for the burden to the whole family. Maintaining of good conditions for stepwise cessation of the life of elderly parents is a big task for every generation and it is necessary to be ready to perform it. This is documented by literature references related to the present article.

Keywords: Taking care of elderly and dying parents; family care; desires of dying people for communication; dying at home; not to remain alone in death

Received: September 30, 2007; Accepted: October 22, 2007; Published: December 21, 2007  Show citation