Core Values

There are a large number of theories that describe humans from various perspectives, for instance as a biological or social being. Psychologists have different theories about how we as humans function and what we can do to function better in different contexts. If you scratch the surface, you will notice the prevailing view of humanity.

By view of humanity, we mean what we as humans or businesses believe are the forces that guide human action. The view of humanity is closely linked to core values. Individually, it affects what we strive for and what we see as meaningful, as well as my value in relation to other people, including colleagues, leaders, and colleagues.

Many people in Sweden express a humanistic view of humanity. It is expressed as people having free will and being responsible for their actions. In healthcare, we talk about the equal value of all people and the right to integrity. There is also a national core value that guides elderly care.

Ethical Core Values

A lot of the ethical core values we have as humans are based on our view of humanity.
If we start with the humanistic view of humanity and the view of human dignity, our value as a human being is much more than what we achieve. Here there are links to treating fellow humans equally and fairly. Yet, it is very common that our first question to another person is what they do for a living. It is hard not to be colored by automatic thoughts or prejudices about other people.

Some businesses have a mechanical view of humanity. Employees are interchangeable cogs in a machine. The view is based on a theory that we humans are shaped by external influence. Individual development is an adaptation to circumstances and demands. Skilled educators can shape the human so that tasks are performed correctly.  

We often hear that man is a free being with his own will and full responsibility for his actions. But how is it when we organize healthcare? If Anna is sick, we call in a substitute, usually, the first person who responds gets the job. Does that mean that Anna is adequately replaced? The biological perspective on humans can steer towards the mechanical view of humanity.

In the business, there are visible and invisible mechanisms that control how it functions in different contexts. Psychological knowledge can be used to get us to act in different ways in different situations, so-called Nudging. To understand why many people feel good and have health despite a difficult life situation, we start from salutogenic theories and to understand why we get sick, it is more of a pathogenic perspective.

Whether we want to or not, we convey the core values consciously and unconsciously in what we say and convey in everyday meetings.

The Logistics in Healthcare

The planning can result in the resident having to wait for help with medical interventions even though they would be best done in conjunction with other care. There may be a lack of storage space for medical technology equipment even though it is absolutely necessary for both safe and secure care and for the working environment of the staff. Sometimes the equipment is left standing in some corridor.  

In recent years, healthcare has increasingly taken over. A lot of focus ends up on "safety" and thus on medication and rounds with doctors. The Health and Medical Services Act's safe and secure care risks becoming more important than the Social Services Act's reasonable standard of living. Prioritizing handling medication and making assessments of deviating health conditions is to work patient safety. It's like vacuuming, it shows when you've done something. It is not so strange since medication is the most common medical treatment for the elderly.  

View of Humanity

There are a large number of theories that describe humans from various perspectives, for instance as a biological or social being. Psychologists have different theories about how we as humans function and what we can do to function better in different contexts. If you scratch the surface, you will notice the prevailing view of humanity.

By view of humanity, we mean what we as humans or businesses believe are the forces that guide human action. The view of humanity is closely linked to core values. Individually, it affects what we strive for and what we see as meaningful, as well as my value in relation to other people, including colleagues, leaders, and colleagues.

Humanistic View of Humanity
Many people in Sweden express a humanistic view of humanity. It is expressed as people having free will and being responsible for their actions. In healthcare, we talk about the equal value of all people and the right to integrity. A lot of the ethical core values we have as humans are based on our view of humanity.

If we start with the humanistic view of humanity and the view of human dignity, our value as a human being is much more than what we achieve. Here there are links to treating fellow humans equally and fairly. Yet, it is very common that our first question to another person is what they do for a living. It is hard not to be colored by automatic thoughts or prejudices about other people.

Mechanical View of Humanity
Some businesses have a mechanical view of humanity. Employees are interchangeable cogs in a machine. The view is based on a theory that we humans are shaped by external influence. Individual development is an adaptation to circumstances and demands. Skilled educators can shape the human so that tasks are performed correctly.  

We often hear that man is a free being with his own will and full responsibility for his actions. But how is it when we organize healthcare? If Anna is sick, we call in a substitute, usually, the first person who responds gets the job. Does that mean that Anna is adequately replaced? The biological perspective on humans can steer towards the mechanical view of humanity.

In the business, there are visible and invisible mechanisms that control how it functions in different contexts. Psychological knowledge can be used to get us to act in different ways in different situations, so-called Nudging. To understand why many people feel good and have health despite a difficult life situation, we start from salutogenic theories and to understand why we get sick, it is more of a pathogenic perspective.
Whether we want to or not, we convey the core values consciously and unconsciously in what we say and convey in everyday meetings. Different views of humanity do not have to be opposed to each other but depending on where they appear they have consequences for both residents, relatives, and employees.

Biological View of Humanity - the Medically Biological Perspective
A biological view of humanity is a view of the human and her characteristics that is based on biological factors. This means that one believes that human behavior, characteristics, and development can be explained in terms of her biological heritage and physiology.

Such a view can emphasize that the human is a biological being and that her behavior and characteristics are largely preprogrammed by genetics and evolution. It can also include seeing the human as a part of the animal kingdom and that humans share certain basic characteristics and needs with other animals.

A biological view of humanity can also emphasize that biological factors have a strong impact on how the human develops and functions, including her thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It may mean that one sees the human's biological composition and brain structure as decisive for her behavior and that one explains, for example, health, diseases, and emotional regulation from biological processes.

It is important to remember that the models above are not the only possible views of humanity. Other perspectives, such as sociocultural and psychological perspectives, emphasize more the influence of the environment, culture, and the individual's own experience and choice. A holistic view of the human often involves a combination of existential, biological, sociocultural, and psychological factors.

Who Determines At the Resident's Home

In summary, our elderly have the right to influence their own everyday life. This from both the Social Services Act and the Health and Medical Services Act's perspective. There is no template for how elderly people want to live. There is a development force in person-centered care and IBIC (individual needs in the center) but there are few opportunities for real influence and a big focus on medication. We are not so outstanding when it comes to complementing drug treatment. It is easier to prescribe antidepressants than the "good conversation" and a walk with the elderly.

Compassion

Compassion is a valuable quality in employees that helps them understand the feelings of the residents. Empathy is the ability to experience and understand other people's feelings. We read the moods and feelings of people we interact with.

It is a foundation for good interaction between us humans. The ability to empathize often occurs in contrast to pain with a certain delay. It can take a while before we fully understand what an event means to a fellow human.  

Some use empathy and compassion as if it was the same thing, but there is a difference. Research shows that we feel empathy for those we like but not always with unknowns or those we dislike. There can even be feelings of schadenfreude. We who work in healthcare must get past this. Our personal feelings towards another person must not be reflected in our treatment. We must act professionally.

Being able to meet and listen to the resident regardless of the situation increases the conditions for understanding the resident and his needs. The professional role includes a balance between closeness and distance. Reflection from ethics, core values, and the humanistic view of humanity takes place simultaneously as we create a good treatment and a good collaboration. There is research indicating that empathy affects psychological well-being and can lead to burnout when we are drawn into the sufferer's emotional state and feel very bad about it.  

There is a refined kind of empathy that many who work in healthcare have acquired. It is a compassion that does not contain any pity, only care that is close to what parents feel for their children. For those who have learned to feel compassion, brain regions associated with positive feelings are activated. Compassionate people usually describe their feelings for the other as warmth and care, the opposite of schadenfreude.  

Many believe that it is impossible to feel and understand another person without caring. Feeling, understanding, and care are therefore central in empathy and compassion. In order to be able to be a support, we must feel with but not be overwhelmed by the other's situation and vulnerability. Thus, empathy or compassion as an attitude is an emotional balancing act. Empathy and compassion make us act unselfishly.  

It can be seen that empathy has different phases. Our ability to feel empathy, the feeling with the other, and our acting based on the experience. With that way of seeing it, it is about our imagination, i.e. the ability to put ourselves in the other's situation and the care we show for the other.

Läs mer om värdegrund  

Reflection - the need for a social and medical approach
Care Personnel:
• Which view of humanity is most noticeable among you?
• Have the demands for professional competence changed over time?
• Do you have colleagues who you perceive lack empathy or are overly empathetic?  

Manager, Nurse, Occupational Therapist, and Physiotherapist:
• How is it noticeable that all people are equally valuable in the elderly home?
• Is there a common view of humanity expressed in writing?
• Do you manage the balancing act between the social and medical approach?
• Do situations arise where employees are torn by the suffering of the residents?

Residents and Relatives:
• How is the elderly home's view of humanity noticeable to you?
• Do you perceive that the elderly home is primarily characterized by home comfort or is it the healthcare needs that take over?
• Do you perceive that the employees at the home are empathetic?  

Erland Olsson
Specialist nurse
Sofrosyne - Better Care Every Day