Hoitoaika lyhenee - koti kutsuu : lyhythoitoinen kirurginen toiminta vanhusten itsensä kokemana

Abstract

Lyhythoitoinen kirurginen toiminta on ulotettu enimmäkseen nuorille ja työikäisille. Iäkkäistä päiväkirurgisesti leikatuista potilaista suurin osa on kaihipotilaita, joiden palautteet päiväkirurgiasta ovat erinomaisen hyviä.Lyhythoitoinen kirurginen toiminta vaatii toimintaa myös potilaalta. Hänen on osattava lääkitä itseään selvitäkseen kivusta. Hänen on osattava hoitaa kotona itseään ja leikkausaluettaan niin, ettei se infektoidu. Leikkauksen jälkeenkin omasta kunnosta on huolehdittava ja pidettävä yllä sosiaalisia suhteita ja jatkettava harrastuksia.

The aim of this study was to examine the experiences of elderly patients who have undergone day surgery of the care process. The aim was to analyse what kind of experiences they had had and what they wished of the care process.In the past few years patient care has changed greatly due to technological developments, cost cutting and the demands expressed by clients. This change is seen most pronouncedly in the move towards day surgery, which increases continually. The significance of day surgery for the patients is that everything happens in a short time and fast. Still older patients are undergoing day surgery.Twenty-two old patients who had undergone day surgery participated in the study 2.2. - 19.9.2000. The interviewees recollected the procedure and told about their thoughts of the matters connected with the procedure and their recovery. The first interview was conducted immediately after discharge and second interview after check-up 1-2 months after surgery. The interviewees were selected from the patients of the day surgery unit of Central Hospital. The criteria were 75 years of age, consent to the interview, and patient’s ability to carry out a conversation lasting 1-2 hours at a time.The theoretical method was Grounded-theory, which enabled the researcher to document the analysis clearly. This added to the comprehensibility of the connection between the experiences of the elderly patients who had undergone day surgery and the care provider. The GT-analysis gave rise to 5 categories that describe the interviewees’ experiences of day surgical care process. The category of knowing showed the elderly patients’ knowledge of their own anatomy and physiology, understanding instructions, compliance, needing and receiving help, other complaints and illnesses, social interaction and recognising the signs of recovery.The activity category discusses the activity of the elderly patients during the care process, ability to cope with pain, prevent infection, keep up their fitness and interests. The emotional category brings up the wishes for ethical decision making. Survival from war is compared to the survival from surgery, as death is present in both. In the category of care provision the interviewees mention the financial point of view. The category of success of care is discussed from the point of experience.The central result of the research was the wish of the elderly to receive individualised care during the various stages of the day surgery process, so that their life situation is considered as a whole when planning and implementing care.