Failure to protect the frailest old from Covid-19: Safety in the light of person-centered care

Abstract

The end results of the Covid-19 pandemic are as yet unknown. However, even at this stage there are outcomes that command the attention of the nursing profession, both the research side and the practice side. By 14 July 2020, 5455 people in Sweden had died infected with Covid-19 and, of those, 2505 lived in what would internationally be regarded as nursing homes (45.9%). In addition, another 1316 individuals, living at home with the support of public home care and services, died. The reports were a shock to the public and rightfully received a lot of attention in the Covid-19 debate. This scenario is not perhaps unique to Sweden; reports from other countries provide similar information. The statistics raise many questions: How could this happen? Where is the voice of the nursing profession? What is happening in nursing research? Is it focusing on what is going on in practice?