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Psicothema was founded in Asturias (northern Spain) in 1989, and is published jointly by the Psychology Faculty of the University of Oviedo and the Psychological Association of the Principality of Asturias (Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos del Principado de Asturias).
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Psicothema, 2008. Vol. Vol. 20 (nº 4). 571-576




Frail elderly and palliative care

Gloria Saavedra Muñoz and Mª Pilar Barreto Martín*

Hospital La Magdalena (Castellón) y * Universidad de Valencia

This paper deals with the assessment of suffering in frail elderly end-of-life patients. Our main goal was to determine the factors that cause suffering and the resources the patients may have to cope with such suffering. In addition, we tested a method of assessing the subjective global well-being in this population by asking about the patient’s perception of time passing. The study also includes the assessment of the need for information in these elderly patients. Forty patients where assessed using the ESYP form, applied individually. A descriptive analysis of all variables was made and Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to determine whether there was any relation between patients’ perception of time passing and their feelings of well-being. Results showed that no single symptom was common to all patients and those symptoms that did appear caused varying degrees of concern to each person. A moderate correlation was found between well-being and the perception of time passing. We observed a discrepancy between the patients’ and their families’ expressed desire for information about the illness.

Anciano frágil y cuidados paliativos. Este trabajo pretende ser una aproximación al sufrimiento del anciano frágil que se encuentra en situación de final de vida: descubrir qué factores le ocasionan sufrimiento y cuáles son los recursos que poseen para hacerle frente. También hemos querido comprobar la relación existente entre la sensación de bienestar global y la percepción del paso del tiempo, así como las necesidades de información que tienen estos pacientes de edad avanzada. Se ha evaluado a 40 pacientes usando el ESYP, aplicado de forma individual. Hemos realizado un análisis descriptivo de todas las variables y hemos usado el coeficiente de correlación de Spearman para determinar la relación entre la percepción del paso temporal de los pacientes y su sensación de bienestar. Los resultados muestran que no existe ningún síntoma que aparezca en todos los pacientes y que los que lo hacen provocan diferentes grados de preocupación en cada persona. Encontramos una correlación moderada entre la sensación de bienestar global y la percepción del paso temporal. Observamos una discrepancia entre el deseo de información relativa a la enfermedad expresada por los pacientes y por sus familiares.

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