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Related Experiment Videos

Moral imagination in long-term care workers.

Helen K Black1

  • 1Thomas Jefferson University, Center for Applied Research in Aging and Health, Suite 515, 130 South 9th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA. helen.black@jefferson.edu

Omega
|April 15, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Direct care workers in long-term care facilities demonstrate "moral imagination" when navigating residents' deaths. This unique perspective shapes end-of-life care and highlights the value of these essential workers.

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Area of Science:

  • Sociology of health and illness
  • Medical anthropology
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • The cultural construction of death and dying is complex within long-term care settings.
  • Direct care workers (DCWs) are central to residents' end-of-life experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the perspectives of direct care workers regarding residents' deaths in long-term care facilities.
  • To identify and define the concept of "moral imagination" as observed in DCWs' approach to death.

Main Methods:

  • Multi-year, multi-site ethnographic study.
  • Data collection through formal interviews, informal conversations, and on-site observations.
  • Case studies of a dietary aide, nurse aide, and assistant activities director.
Keywords:
Death and EuthanasiaEmpirical ApproachProfessional Patient Relationship

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Main Results:

  • DCWs exhibit a distinct "way of seeing" residents, termed "moral imagination," enabling them to effectively manage death and dying.
  • This "moral imagination" is a crucial, yet often unrecognized, aspect of quality end-of-life care.
  • Observations suggest this aptitude is present across different categories of direct care roles.

Conclusions:

  • Direct care workers' "moral imagination" significantly contributes to residents' quality of life and the overall care environment.
  • Further research is needed to understand the full value of DCWs in end-of-life care.
  • Long-term care facilities should consider formalizing and supporting the development of "moral imagination" in their caregiving standards.