Paliatívna medicína a liečba bolesti 1/2009

Palliative care – way to preservation of quality and dignity of life in terminally ill persons

Dignity presented by respect to autonomy of moral and spiritual values guarantee preservation of individual and social identity. Answer to question what is and what is not dignity can be find only in that case, when issue of meaning of life will be satisfactory well known and when attitude to terminally ill patients will be changed in all stakeholders. Care of incurable ill and dying patients is presented in prepared program of palliative and hospice care. Program is based on comprehensive approach considering priorities of ill and dying people, accompanying through the most difficult part of life and follow-up, respit care for family as well. Understanding of dignity and its interactive relation to quality of life, attitude to issues of dying and death – these are the question addressed to respondents – nurses, in different workplaces. Their ideas, attitudes and evaluations are incorporated in the results of this publication. The aim of it was to point out issues of dying and preserving of dignity, of values with impact on quality of life.

Keywords: dignity, palliative and hospice care, not curable.