Sjuksköterskans stöjande funktion till föräldrar som fått prematura barn
ABSTRACT The persons whom the authorized nurse encounters in hospital wards and nursing homes are in great extent elderly persons. According to Wasserman (2000), about 30 to 40 percent among these, show signs of depression. To be aware of the signs of depression, and how an authorized nurse can support the patient is therefore of great value. The introduction to this study describes the symptoms of depression and how depression in elders is expressed. It also describes treatment possibilities and nursing aspects of concern. The aim of this study is to illustrate what possibilities the authorized nurse has to detect and to support the depressed elderly patient. The method to do this has been through a literature review, and with content analysis as an analytic method. The result is based on nine articles and shows the authorized nurse can do a great deal to detect and support the elderly depressed patient without being a specialist in this field of nursing. By recognizing the signs of depression and being aware that depression is not a part of the normal aging process, the authorized nurse can do a lot observe the patient and se to that he gets the care and support he is entitled to. Keywords: Elders, Depression, Nursing, Detect, Support