Nurses’ Palliative Approach to People with Dementia

Abstract

Palijativni pristup kod osoba s demencijom ne temelji se samo na dijagnozi, već na postizanju najbolje moguće kvalitete života za oboljelu osobu i njezine najbliže. Demencija je kronična progresivna bolest koja uključuje složene potrebe imajući u vidu niz komplikacija koje se često posljedično razvijaju. Oboljele osobe u poodmakloj fazi mogu živjeti godinama, dok pojedini nikada ne dožive lako prepoznatljiv terminalni stadij bolesti. Osim članova obitelji i bliskih prijatelja ključnu ulogu u liječenju zahvaćenih skupina imaju i medicinske sestre. Upravo su one jedan od elementarnih čimbenika u novonastaloj situaciji, kako za osobu s demencijom tako i za, ne manje pogođene, članove obitelji. Glavni cilj palijativnog pristupa medicinske sestre sastoji se, dakle, u korelaciji s oboljelom osobom i njegovom obitelji. Iako učinkovit tretman cerebralne patologije ne postoji, pomoć oboljeloj osobi svakako je moguća. Ona se u prvom redu sastoji u prilagodbi i suočavanju sa stresom. Kako bolest napreduje, demencija znatno utječe i na komunikaciju, stoga je jasna i primjenjiva komunikacija od središnjeg značenja u palijativnom pristupu.Autorice članka upravo zbog toga naglašavaju međusobnu interakciju medicinske sestre i osobe s dijagnosticiranom demencijom, a koja se realizira palijativnom skrbi u cilju poboljšanja kvalitete njihova života./ Palliative care in people with dementia is not only based on diagnosis but on achieving the best possible quality of life for the affected person and their loved ones. Dementia is a chronic progressive disease that involves complex needs, while considering the range of complications that often develop afterwards. Patients at advanced stages can live for years, while some never experience the easily recognizable terminal stage of the disease. Apart from family members and close friends, nurses play a key role in treating affected patients. Nurses are one of the elemental factors in the new situation, both for the person with dementia and for affected family members. The main goal of the nurse's palliative approach, therefore, is to correlate with the diseased person and their family. Although there is no effective treatment for cerebral pathology, it is certainly possible to aid the affected person. First and foremost, it is about adapting and coping with stress. Palliative care is focused on addressing physical symptoms, the most common of which is physical pain and the satisfaction of basic physiological needs, but its secondary role should not be neglected. As the disease progresses, dementia also significantly affects communication, so clear and applicable communication is of major importance to the palliative approach. For this reason, the authors place emphasis on the interaction between the nurse and the person diagnosed with dementia, which is realized through palliative care in order to improve the quality of their lives.