Perceptions of Clergy Regarding the Provision of Spiritual Care in Lithuanian Hospitals for Cancer Patients

Spiritual Needs and Life Satisfaction of Lithuanian Palliative Care Patients

Life satisfaction remains a value-based orientation and an important positive dimension of human well-being. Little is known about the relationship of this construct with palliative care patients' spiritual needs. This study assesses spiritual needs of palliative care patients and their association with life satisfaction. An exploratory cross-sectional study design was employed. During structured face-to-face interviews, 110 hospitalized palliative care patients responded to the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ) regarding their spiritual needs and the Brief Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale (BMLSS) regarding life satisfaction. The patients, generally satisfied with their health and future prospects, showed variations in life satisfaction based on education and family status. Stronger Existential and Inner Peace needs were expressed. Factors such as age, gender, education, family status, and religiosity make a difference in the expression of spiritual needs. Religiosity emerged as the key predictor for Religious, Inner Peace, and Existential needs. Life satisfaction had a very weak negative correlation (-0.207, p < 0.05) with Inner Peace needs. Recommendations include understanding and addressing the spiritual needs of palliative patients and preparing healthcare professionals to address them.

Dignity at the end of life: from philosophy to health care practice - Lithuanian case

Regulation and clinical practices regarding end of human life care differ among the nations and countries. These differences reflect the history of the development of state health systems, different societal values, and different understandings of dignity and what it means to protect or respect dignity. The result is variation in the ethical, legal, and practical approaches to end-of-life issues. The article analyzes the diversity of strategies to strengthen dignity at the end of life of terminally ill patients and to highlight the legal preconditions and limitations for implementing these strategies in independent Lithuania, as a former state of the Soviet Union. It is based on the critical analysis of philosophical literature, legal national and international documents and scientific evidence related to the issue. The author argues that the legal system in Lithuania is not sufficient to ensure the patient's dignity at the end of life and remains far behind other Western European countries. Legal regulations in Lithuania do not guarantee the right of the patient to express his or her will regarding the future treatment, including the refusal of resuscitation, do not regulate the termination of burdensome, non-viable and meaningless treatment that is undesired by the patient, and limit the accessibility of palliative care with its necessary quality and comfort.