The Struggle for Dignity by People with Severe Functional Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to investigate what strategies people with severe functional disabilities who receive personal assistance in their homes use in their daily life to achieve autonomy, integrity, influence and participation. Qualitative interviews were carried out and subjected to qualita...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Wadensten, Barbro (Author) ; Ahlström, Gerd (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage 2009
In: Nursing ethics
Year: 2009, Volume: 16, Issue: 4, Pages: 453-465
Further subjects:B Participation
B Dignity
B personal assistants
B Autonomy
B Chronic Disease
B Integrity
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:The purpose of this study was to investigate what strategies people with severe functional disabilities who receive personal assistance in their homes use in their daily life to achieve autonomy, integrity, influence and participation. Qualitative interviews were carried out and subjected to qualitative latent content analysis. The main finding was expressed in terms of six subthemes: trying to keep a private sphere; striving to communicate; searching for possibilities; taking the initiative; striving to gain insight; and using one's temperament. These generated the overall theme: maintaining dignity in close relationships. This study contributes an understanding of the strategies used by people who are dependent on personal assistance. Future efforts in nursing must focus on supporting personal assistants with ethical knowledge and guidance in order that people with severe functional disabilities are empowered to achieve autonomy, integrity, influence and participation in their daily lives.
ISSN:1477-0989
Contains:Enthalten in: Nursing ethics
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/0969733009104609