Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the support provided to the relatives of aged people in hospitals by different sources, the demand for support among them and the role of nursing personnel in providing support. The study was conducted in April 1990. Questionnaires were completed by 96 relatives and 82 members of nursing personnel on nine wards. Both emotionally and informativelly, the relatives were provided better support by inofficial than by official auxiliaries. The discontent concerned mainly informative support. The relatives felt that the nursing personnel had provided them less support than the personnel beleived to have given. What was required was more information of the condition and the treatment of the aged person as well as general discussion with the personnel. The preparedness of the nursing personnel to provide support to relatives was considered better by relatives than by the personnel themselves.
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