Family members' experiences with the spiritual care of older people living with dementia in nursing homes: A phenomenological hermeneutical study.
Nataša Mlinar Reljić, Zvonka Fekonja, Sergej Kmetec and 3 others
PMID 34338451WHAT IT FOUND
Family members of nursing home residents with dementia said routine care left spiritual needs unmet.
They described distress and wanted staff to know each person's history, listen, and respect small rituals like bathing or tea.
Key findings
01Family members said nursing care often felt routine and left spiritual needs unmet, and they reported distress and insecurity.
02They wanted respectful care that included staff time, listening, dignity, and knowledge of the resident's life history.
03They expected compassionate care that adapts to mood and attends to small, meaningful routines such as bathing preferences, music, tea, or cake.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 12 family members from one nursing home, so findings cannot be generalized. Each family member was interviewed once, and transcripts were not returned to participants for checking. Results were translated into English. Voluntary participation may mean those who agreed had different experiences. Authors were nurses with prior experience and did not bracket pre-understanding.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that spiritual care improves outcomes. It reports family members' experiences and expectations, not tested effects of a nursing intervention.