Abstract
Given the demographic situation in developed countries, securing dignity and appropriate services for the elderly is currently a priority task for both health professionals and politicians. In the Czech Republic, many seniors are hospitalized in long-term care facilities and the quality of care is often criticized.
The public defender of public rights chose these institutions to make their unannounced visits to assess how human rights and the dignity of hospitalized clients are respected. By the way, the staff of the Public Defender's office and their external collaborators (nurses and doctors) visited ten selected facilities and described the areas care provided in these facilities.
In the autumn of 2017, they issued a summary of the reports underlying this presentation. Based on the findings, the public rights defender identified several areas in which a rapid improvement in care is needed, such as maintaining client dignity, signing informed consent to care and ensuring adequate staffing in these facilities.
These measures should lead to the provision of individualized training for self-sufficiency, which is the goal of treatment, but it does not actually happen in reality. Clients and their families expect this service and service is highly needed throughout the community.
The reports were sent to the visited facilities, a summary report also to the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, members of parliament and to schools and professional organizations. Nevertheless, it is necessary to mediate, and to discuss at the professional and laic level in order to make the situation worse.
The aim of this presentation was to focus the attention of nurses and other health professionals on this topic and to educate them on possible corrective actions.