How can nurses ensure that older people are treated with respect and dignity whist being cared for in hospital or in the community?

The aim of the following essay is to explore how nurses can ensure that

older people are treated with respect and dignity whist being cared for in

hospital or the community. The essay will seek to gain an understanding

of the biopsychosocial influences associated with dignity which affect the

older person.

Age concern describe dignity to mean that everyone is treated and

receives the care that meets their needs which enables them to live their

life how they want (age concern 2008). it is important that health care

professionals are aware of the ethical and non-ethical values …show more content…

Inadequate nursing care is not exclusive to the elderly, but it is often nurses who work with older patients who appear to be continually coming under fire, particularly around issues related to patient dignity(Lomas 2009).
Bedrail are commonly used in health care settings, . The most common reason given by staff for using bedrail use is falls prevention (NPSA,
2007). Some papers on bedrails have automatically categorised them as a form of physical restraint, describing their use as ‘unethical’(Healey
2009). Bedrails used to prevent an accidental fall from bed would be unlikely to be considered as restraint using the definitions,from the RCN
2007 which suggested an ethics-based definition of restraint: ‘the intentional restriction of a person’s voluntary movement or behaviour’ or
‘stopping them doing something they appear to want to do’. while using bedrails to keep a patient in bed against their will would be. restraint. Some however would say that Bedrails… deprive older patients of their dignity and autonomy’ (Hanger et al, 1999).

There were two categories of staff behaviour which could threaten or

promote dignity: actions by staff relating to privacy, and staff

communication (Baillie 2007).Baillie (2007) found that Most staff were

consistently vigilant