WATSON'S THEORY OF HUMAN CARING IN THE ELDERLY CARE

Watson's Theory of Human Caring in the Elderly Care

Watson's Theory of Human Caring in the Elderly Care

Introduction

Every individual is a unique entity and the care they receive should be planned according to their individual needs (Ceriello et al., 2012). As we get older, our care needs get complicated and according to Berry (2012), most of the organizations are failing to recognise the complex needs and dependency of the infirm elderly. Leathard and Cook (2009) stated further that whereas plenty attention is given to mental and physical aspects of health care, spiritual aspect is almost ignored. A study conducted by Witton (2005) in England identified that most of the staff in the care and nursing homes are not competent enough to deliver holistic care. Therefore, care for the elderly people is a worldwide issue and continues to be an important area of nursing research and discussion (Herrmann et al., 2010). One strategy is to adapt holistic care approach and it is acknowledged that holistic care approach mainly depends on the development of a caring relationship between the client and the nurse (Johns, 2012). Fawcett (2005) described Watson's theory of human caring as an average, explanatory theory and this theory can be seen to establish a caring relationship between the nurse and patient and to care for the patient as a holistic being. Watson's theory of human caring defines health as not only the absence of disease but in fact as a balance between the mind, body and spirit (Watson ,1985). This paper aims to review the holistic care theory presented by Jean Watson, with a focus on the practical implications of this theory towards the enhancement of healthcare, specifically in the field of nursing.

Background

Elderly population is increasing globally and particularly in the western countries (Hawkes, 2011). Approximately 144 million of European population is aged 60 and older, and 108 million is aged 80 and older (Pautex et al., 2010). By 2050, the population of aged 80 and older will reach to187 million (Pautex et al., 2010). These figures are showing that elderly population with complex care needs are increasing and ultimately leading to more pressure and workload on nurses and nursing profession. The strategy of holistic care is adapted to deal with the complex care needs of the elderly, not to deal with their diagnoses or diseases alone but to deal with the person as a whole (King, 2012). Furthermore, a caring relation between nurse and patient is vital for the achieving an overall healthy status of the patient (Berg & Danielson, 2007). Research findings, media reports, and other communicative information have highlighted quality problems in elderly care (Stone, 2011). Holistic care needs of elderly clients are often not met by nurses and other health care professionals (Gardiner 2009, Witton 2005). According to Cara (2003), nurses have the responsibility to deal with patient's increased acuity and complexity in relation to the health care situation they face. To deal with complex care needs nurses have ...