Att möta existentiella behov : En fokusgruppsstudie om personalens perspektiv på existentiella behov hos äldre i livets slutskede på vård- och omsorgsboende

Sammanfattning: The aim of the study is, based on the staff’s perspective, to describe and analyse the existential needs of elderly in end-of-life living in nursing homes. The aim was also to examine how the staff perceive working with elderly in end-of-life care. Three qualitative focus groups were conducted by interviewing nursing home staff. The analysis is based on Weisman’s the appropriate death, Tornstam’s gerotranscendence and Hasenfeld’s human service organizations. The main findings were that the term ‘existential needs’ is described as wide and hard to define. Uneasiness and anxiety were common in the end-of-life and it was hard for the staff to meet the existential needs. The staff also described that the “little things” matter, such as holding one’s hand, as well as being present with the elderly. The relationship between the elderly and the staff was vital in order for the elderly to have as good an end-of-life and death experience as possible. The staff felt sorrow when the elderly had passed away and had little time to grieve. In difference to earlier research the staff did not request further education nor tutoring, however they wanted more time to grieve and process the deaths of the elderly.