Comfort needs as perceived by hospitalized elders: an analysis under the light of Kolcaba’s theory

Abstract

Objective: To reveal the Comfort needs as perceived by hospitalized elders, using Kolcaba’s theory. Methods: Descriptive and qualitative study, with 11 elders hospitalized in a university hospital, aiming to identify their needs for Comfort. Results: Discourses were categorized in four thematic units: Physical, Environmental, Sociocultural, and Psychospiritual. In the Physical context, several subcategories were found, namely, Symptom Relief; Daily Life Activities; Hygiene and personal care; Diet; Sleep and rest. In the Environmental context, the Comfort was considered to be superior than in the elders’ home; in the Sociocultural one, family bonds were found to become more distant, triggering feelings of missing one’s family and isolation, in the Psychospiritual context, spirituality and religiosity stood out. Final considerations: The Comfort needs of the hospitalized elders enable one to reflect on nursing care, offering information to improve the quality of assistance and to attend to the real needs of the elderly.