Contributor: Daniela Maria Antunes Pedro

Portugal, like practically all countries in the world, is facing challenges related to an aging population. We all know that aging brings numerous adjustments and constant adaptations. Those who were once capable of everything may now be the ones who need the most help. With age, we become more fragile, more uncertain, and more fearful. In fact, we must consider the diagnosis of Frail Syndrome, as it is the nursing diagnosis that encompasses all the conditions mentioned above.

Many people, especially the elderly, experience prolonged hospitalizations not only because of their comorbidities but also due to elder abuse. According to the World Health Organization (2022), elder abuse includes neglect, financial abuse, and abandonment. Elder abuse is a public health issue with a global prevalence of 15.7%, which is equivalent to one in six elderly individuals. The most common type of abuse is psychological, followed by financial abuse and neglect (Yon et al., 2017).

I increasingly witness this reality in healthcare services in Portugal. However, as a nurse, I have the opportunity to bring comfort through small everyday actions. Just like Katharine Kolcaba’s Comfort Theory defends, we should recognize the different dimensions and needs of comfort, which promotes holistic and integral interaction between nurse and patient. This mid-range theory stating that comfort encompasses the fulfillment of “needs for relief (the state of having a specific need met), ease (the state of calm and contentment), and transcendence (the state in which one can rise above problems or pain), considering physical, psycho-spiritual, sociocultural, and environmental contexts” (Cardoso et al.,2020).

Basing my actions on this theory, I am able to individualize my therapeutic plan to meet the patient’s real needs, whether it be pain relief, promoting their privacy and individuality, or encouraging them to be autonomous in their daily life activities. But how exactly? For example, by actively listening without interruptions, turning on the patient’s favorite channel, or caring for their hair, beard, or nails. Or even maintaining a conversation with them about their life or family. These acts can bring a little joy in their day, transforming the hospital’s experience and leaving a positive mark on the individual, as they bring love and the normalcy of daily life that was abruptly taken away by illness or a deterioration in health.

Even if we do not notice, Kolcaba’s Comfort Theory influences our nursing daily interventions because we acknowledge what the patient’s needs are and implement an individualized plan which includes comfort interventions. In my perspective, it’s always important to do so, especially regarding the elderly.

Bibliographic references

Cardoso, R., Souza, P., Caldas, C., & Bitencourt, G. (2020). Diagnósticos de enfermagem em
idosos hospitalizados à luz da teoria do conforto de Kolcaba. Revista de Enfermagem Referência, V
Série(No 4), e20066. https://doi.org/10.12707/RV20066

Organização Mundial da Saúde. (2022). Abuse of older people. https://www.who.int/newsroom/fact-sheets/detail/abuse-of-older-people

Yon, Y., Mikton, C. R., Gassoumis, Z. D., & Wilber, K. H. (2017). Elder abuse prevalence in community settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Global Health, 5(2), e147–e156. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(17)30006-2

About Daniela Maria Antunes Pedro

I am a nurse since 2019 and all my experience has been in the area of medical and surgery care in both public and private hospitals. I have been attending the ‘ ‘Master’s course in critical care nursing since September 2023 at the Health Sciences Institute of the Portuguese Catholic University (Lisbon). This post was created in the curricular unit of Nursing Theories under the guidance of Professor Zaida Charepe (PhD., Associate Professor).