Management of psychosocial services for the relatives of palliative care patients at nursing hospital

Aim of the study - to analyse the management of psychosocial services for the relatives of palliative care patients at nursing hospital. Objectives: 1. To determine the demand for existing psychosocial services for the relatives of palliative care patients. 2. To evaluate supply of this demand. 3. To establish the demand for new psychosocial services. Material and methods. The study object – management of psychosocial services for the relatives of palliative care patients at nursing hospital. The survey implied the anonymous questionnaire (n=67) for the relatives of palliative care patients. Statistical data analysis was performed using statistical package „ SPSS 13.0 for Windows“ and „Microsoft Excel“ software. Results. The majority of responders pointed out, that the needs to interact with health care staff (88.4%), to receive high quality of health care and procedures (89.1%), information and aid (81.2%), and psychological support (68.0%) all are relevant. The analysis of demands' perception regarding to gender and prior experience of care (experienced subjects and non-experienced subjects) demonstrated following differences: relevance of interaction with health care staff and of psychological support was higher for women and experienced subjects, while the quality of care and procedures as well as information and aid were more relevant for women and non-experienced subjects. The coverage of demands was different. The needs of interaction with health care staff was supplied to 49.7% of cases, and this was more expressed for women and experienced subjects. The needs of high quality care and procedures was supplied to 53.8 of responders, however, this was more expressed for men and non-experienced subjects. Information and aid needs were covered by less than half of subjects (47.2%): for women and experienced subjects this was more covered than for men and non-experienced subjects. Psychological support as a need was covered least (32.6%): the doubts about this were more among men and experienced subjects than among other responders. Additionally, responders depicted the demand of new services at hospital: spiritual help ad mortem (55.0%), mutual aid groups (51.5%), and psychological consulting (61.0%). Of note, the needs are more expressed in women and experienced subjects. Conclusions. 1. Psychosocial needs are relevant for responders: both subgroups show the demand for social and psychological services. 2. The services are not fully adequate to the needs of responders: needs of interaction with health care staff and of high quality care and procedures are sufficient, however, psychological support is uncertain, while the need of information and aid is more covered for women and experienced subjects rather than for men and non-experienced subjects. 3. The relatives of palliative care patients are in need new services: spiritual help and psychological consulting are relevant for both subgroups while mutual aid groups are more important for women and experienced subjects. Recommendations for practice. 1. Collaboration of palliative care team. 2. Improvement of communication among team members. 3. Increase of staff qualification. 4. Motivation of health care staff. 4. Tantamount aid for the relatives. 5. Launch of project of psychological consulting for the relatives. 6. Founding mutual aid groups and providing spiritual help for the relatives. Key words. Palliative help, palliative care