Dignity in life and care : The perspectives of Swedish patients in a palliative care context

• Background: How patients preserve their sense of dignity in life is an important area of palliative care that remains to be explored. Aims: To describe patients' perspectives of what constitutes a dignified life within a palliative care context. Methods: Twelve palliative care patients were interviewed about their views on living with dignity. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results: What constitutes a dignified life during end-of-life care was captured by the theme 'I may be ill but I am still a human being' and presented under the categories 'preserving my everyday life and personhood', 'having my human value maintained by others through 'coherence' and 'being supported by society at large'. Conclusion: Patients' sense of dignity can be preserved by their own attitudes and behaviours, by others and through public support. Health professionals need to adopt a dignity-conserving approach, for which awareness of their own attitudes and behaviours is crucial. 

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Omvårdnad (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Nursing (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Care of the dying

Dignity

Health professionals

Palliative care

adult

article

awareness

clinical article

content analysis

female

human

human dignity

male

palliative therapy

personhood

Swedish citizen

terminal care

Health-Promoting Work

Hälsofrämjande arbete

Omvårdnad

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)