“It made me feel human”—a phenomenological study of older patients’ experiences of participating in a team meeting

Abstract

This study focused on older patients participating in a team meeting (TM) in a hospital ward in Sweden. A process had taken place on the ward, in which the traditional round had developed into a TM and understanding what participating in a TM means for the older patient is necessary for the development of care that facilitates older patient's participation. The aim of this study was to describe the caring, as experienced by the older patients on a ward for older persons, with a specific focus on the team meeting. A reflective lifeworld research (RLR) design was used. Fifteen patients, 12 women and three men (mean age of 82 years) were interviewed while they were hospitalized in a hospital ward for older people. In the essential meaning of the phenomenon, the TM is described as being a part of a wider context of both caring and life. The need for hospitalization is an emotional struggle to overcome vulnerability and regain everyday freedom. The way in which the professionals are able to confirm vulnerability and create a caring relationship affects both the struggle for well-being and the possibilities for maintaining dignity. The essence is further explicated through its constituents; Vulnerability limits life; Life is left in the hands of someone else; Life is a whole and Space for existence. The result raises concern about how the care needs to be adjusted to older people's needs as lived bodies. The encounter between the carer and the patient needs to be developed in order to get away from the view of the patient as object. An expanded vision may open up for existential dimensions of what brings meaning to life. One way, as described by the patients, is via the patient's life stories, through which the patients can be seen as a whole human being.

Life memories and the ability to act: the meaning of autonomy and participation for older people when living with chronic illness

“…However, it is important that information and advice from healthcare teams are adapted to the older person's individual lifestyle and circumstances . The older person's past lived life has to be included when planning for their present and future life ; this is in agreement with our findings.…”

“…Lindberg et al. describe that participating in team meetings created feelings of being valued and being treated with dignity. However, it is important that information and advice from healthcare teams are adapted to the older person's individual lifestyle and circumstances .…”

“…Tiredness or fatigue was an accepted impact factor in everyday life. Fatigue has been described as having a significant impact when living with chronic illness . The adaption for the older person was more discouraging regarding issues like sexual intimacy and medical treatment side effects.…”

Relationship between communication skills and care behaviors of nurses

“…Nurses and patients stated that they had experienced apprehension and disappointment when communication was not sufficient . Communication skills are needed to allow the person's voice to be heard and to maintain the persons' dignity . Although the importance of communication in nursing profession is known, more than half of the participant nurses had not received any training on communication.…”

Mirror meetings with frail older people and multidisciplinary primary care teams: Process and impact analysis

“…More studies have been performed on a number of related subjects. Lindberg et al evaluated the participation of frail older people in MT meetings within a hospital. The patients in their study also valued the opportunity to participate and share their views with HCPs.…”