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Shift in social worker‘s role at nursing home for elderly during global pandemic.
No full textPurpose of the research. The announcement of the global Covid-19 pandemic inevitably affected the field of social work with elderly people and aroused the questions about the possibilities of finding the services which could help to maintain the quality of life of the elderly at nursing homes during Covid-19 pandemic, prevent the spread of virus, avoid possible complications and critical ilnesses, restore the lost „social connections“. Taking into account the changes in the institutional care system due to Covid-19 pandemic, the role and importance of a social worker has increased and his main roles of the advocate, consultant, informant, advisor, mediator, and coordinator gained new features. However, the ambiguity of responsibilities caused the increase of a tension between social workers, working at nursing homes for the elderly. Research methodology. Analisis of scientific literature, analysis of legal acts and documents, qualitative research (interview), strategy of qualitative content analysis. Conclusions of the research. The research reveals that under the conditions of „pandemic management “, social workers routine have noticeably changed. Despite the fact that most social workers have been rewarded for working at tough circumstances, there still is tension and lack of motivation among them. It is important to note that difficult daily working conditions led to a shift in the role of the social worker at nursing homes for the elderly. In addition to the usual social workers‘ roles, new ones have emerged, such as executor, caregiver, liaison officer, isolator, change indicator and other important and substantial roles. Interviews with the managers of nursing homes for the elderly revealed that bureaucratic management procedures in these institutions had been affected by the pandemic, and that "top-down" instructions had to be incorporated abruptly from the first day of quarantine announcement. The interviews with clients‘ relatives highlighted the problem of severe lack of connection and closeness which clients experienced at nursing homes during pandemic. This distingushed the new role of the social worker, which can be called the role of a “catalyst” for social relations. The research indicated that three groups of interview participants (nursing home managers, social workers and clients‘ relatives) evaluates the shift in social workers role at nursing home during global pandemic differently. Nursing home managers highlights a positive attitude toward social workers role during Covid-19 pandemic, values the skills and competencies acquired by social workers. Social workers express frustration due to the need of rapid adaptation to the new circumstances, increased workload, constant stress. The relatives of the clients of nursing homes note that social work is a very important part of social reality, social worker helps in maintaining warm relationships and developing a sense of humanity. The study highlights the importance of the ethical element in assessing the role of the social worker. It is clear that due to Covid pandemic the role of social workers at nursing home for the elderly has changed. The interviews‘ with social workers data revealed that the role of the social worker has become more complex, significant, and meaningful, with an even greater moral emphasis. The shift in the role of social workers at nursing homes for the elderly in the conditions of a pandemic has opened up the opportunities for the application of creative work methods and tools and discipline planning, which can be used by trained social workers to perform work functions more efficiently. Moreover, according to the interview with nursing home managers and clients‘ relatives, in the face of Covid pandemic, workers acquired new professional skills, attributes and competencies
E-communication of ENGO’s for measurable improvements for sustainability /
No full textEnvironmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) play a significant role in contemporary governance. They act as bottom-up advocates while discussing sustainability and environmental issues. They try to engage different stakeholders and society members for common actions. Communication is cited as a very appropriate process for the cooperation and coordination of joint actions. Digital technologies provide new communication possibilities as an e-communication mode that covers various networks. E-communication is very complex and requires strict management that is usually unaware of for small ENGOs. This study aims to propose a theoretical model of e-communication for enhancing ENGOs communication effectiveness on sustainability issues. A literature analysis was used with a content approach helping to collect components and criteria for the framework. The approach of logical classification and distribution was applied to construct the framework. The framework appeals to the idea of diversification of communication for different audiences and is based on the e-communication objectives and measurement of messages as the results. The framework can be adapted to the particular sustainability problem such as air pollution, protection of trees, etc
Relationship between depresion, anxiety and quality of life among patients with breast cancer.
No full textBreast cancer is one of the most common oncological diseases in women and an extreme psychological test accompanied by depression, anxiety and deteriorating quality of life. Aim. To identify interfaces of depression, anxiety, and quality of life in patients with breast cancer. Research methodology. A quantitative research was conducted using Geriatric Depression scale (GDS); Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7); Quality of Life Questionnaire (SF-36) (Appendix No.1). The research involved 311 women. SPSS 24.0 and Microsoft Excel 2010 software packages were used for statistical analysis of the research data. Results of the research. The study found that 59.2% of breast cancer patients experience depression of varying severity, among them 25.9% suffer from severe depression. The severity of depression was associated with younger age. Women who were more depressed were more likely to seek help from a psychologist. About half of breast cancer patients experience anxiety, and 22.5% of them have moderate or severe anxiety disorders. Many breast cancer patients experience various limitations due to physical disabilities, general health and lack of energy. Older age was associated with poorer physical health, less body pain and better mental health. Quality of life was not influenced by education, stage of cancer or time of diagnosis, but the type of treatment — hormone therapy — was associated with a better quality of life. There is a significant positive correlation between anxiety and depression: as anxiety increases, so does depression. Moderate links between general health status, social functioning, activity limitations due to emotional disorders, as well as and strong connections between energy, mental health status, general vitality and depression were identified. Statistically significant connections between moderate general health status, energy, social functioning, overall quality of life, and strong mental health status with anxiety were identified. Conclusion. Half of breast cancer patients experience depression and anxiety, which are linked to each other. Higher levels of depression and anxiety in breast cancer patients are associated with poorer quality of life
Assessment of four major fish species stocks in the Lithuanian and Russian parts of Curonian Lagoon (SE Baltic Sea) using CMSY method /
No full textFisheries in the Curonian Lagoon (1584 km2 coastal lagoon in South-East Baltic) can be classified as artisanal, small-scale, multi-species, and multi-gear. Such types of fisheries are characterised as data-poor and require appropriate investigation methods. We used CMSY (version CMSY_2019_9f. R) to assess maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and related indicators for freshwater bream, roach, pike-perch, and European perch. A decline in pike-perch and roach was identified, while the stocks of freshwater bream and European perch were sustained. As the CMSY model does not consider the impact of environmental factors, the decline in roach stock may be attributed to the increase in salinity rather than to overfishing. In the case of freshwater bream and pike-perch, the method cannot consider the increase of the percentage of small-sized fishes in catches due to the allowance of low-selectivity gears in the fishery. Additionally, in the case of the pike-perch, the model does not take into account the interannual fluctuations in the stock-recruitment system. The assessment of the European perch stock can be considered to be good. However, the accuracy of CMSY is limited, and it should be used for fisheries management only in combination with other methods
Motivation of patients participating in a colon cancer prevention program.
No full textColon cancer, the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world and one of the most studied cancers, is strongly associated with inflammation. Epidemiological studies show that patients with long-term inflammatory inflammatory disease, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's colon cancer, are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop it than patients without the most dangerous forms of cancer, as it is only seen in the last place. stage of the disease. Preventive measures are therefore needed to prevent anticipation
Sea level rise impact on compound coastal river flood risk in Klaipėda city (Baltic Coast, Lithuania) /
No full textDue to climate change, extreme floods are projected to increase in the 21st century in Europe. As a result, flood risk and flood-related losses might increase. It is therefore essential to simulate potential floods not only relying on historical but also future projecting data. Such simulations can provide necessary information for the development of flood protection measures and spatial planning. This paper analyzes the risk of compound flooding in the Danė River under different river discharge and Klaipėda Strait water level probabilities. Additionally, we examine how a water level rise of 1 m in the Klaipėda Strait could impact Danė River floods in Klaipėda city. Flood extent was estimated with the Hydrologic Engineering Center’s River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) and visualized with ArcGIS Pro. Research results show that a rise in the water level in the Klaipėda Strait has a greater impact on the central part of Klaipėda city, while that of the maximum discharge rates of the river affected the northern upstream part of the analyzed river section. A sea level rise of 1 m could lead to an increase in areas affected by Danė floods by up to three times. Floods can cause significant damage to the infrastructure of Klaipėda port city, urbanized territories in the city center, and residential areas in the northern part of the city. Our results confirm that, in the long run, sea level rise will significantly impact the urban areas of the Klaipėda city situated near the Baltic Sea coast
The effect of TRX suspension trainer and BOSU platform after reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament of the knee joint /
No full textBackground and Study Aim. The tear of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee joint is experienced by people of all ages for a variety of reasons. The physiotherapy procedures with different equipment help recover lost functions. The aim of this research was to determine the effect of ‘TRX’ (Total body Resistance eXercise) suspension trainer and platform ‘BOSU’ (Both Sides Utilized) after anterior cruciate ligament of knee joint reconstruction. Material and Methods. The study included 20 patients after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery, 13 women, age (31.7 ± 3.4) and 7 men, age (31.7 ± 3.5) participated in the assessment. The strength of the calf flexors and extensors muscles was assessed by Lovett scale. The range of motion of the knee joint was assessed by goniometer. The static and dynamic body balance was assessed by Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale. The stability of the knee joint was assessed by Lachman test. The statistical data reliability was evaluated using Student's T criterion. Results. The data obtained showed that stabilization exercises with ‘TRX’ suspension trainer ant platform ‘BOSU’ have positive effect on knee joint after reconstruction. In the first and second group strength of the calf flexors and extensors muscles, amplitude of knee joint, static and dynamic balance significantly increased (p0.05). Conclusions. Physiotherapy exercises with TRX suspension trainer and platform ‘BOSU’ can help patients to return lost muscles strength, knee joint amplitude, static and dynamic balance and knee joint stability
Youth, family, and solidarity of generations /
No full textMany authors relate factors of family institution modernization with changes in the social-economic environment that occurred in the 1990s and are continuing. They are economy shake-up, transition to market relations, decay of standard of living and differentiation between the society levels, unemployment, salary which does not provide satisfactory living conditions, the wave of economic emigration, etc. Socialeconomic and other factors have a profound influence on youth’s marital behavior. There are presumptions that under conditions of market economics, the attitude toward family values changes totally. The sequence of priorities changes as well. At first young people want to find a working place, to make a career, obtain possessions. We face the deepness of individualization as well. That encouraged us to analyze the problem of generation solidarity, which has not been analyzed enough
Removal of petroleum hydrocarbons from brackish water by natural and modified sorbents /
No full textCrude oil and petroleum products made from it are increasingly being extracted and consumed worldwide as an important energy source. During necessary transportation, e.g., by tanker, an oil spill might occur, which leads to water pollution by oil. One of the methods of cleaning up oil spills is to use sorbents, preferably made from natural materials. This study evaluates the remediation efficiency of brackish water polluted with crude oil, marine diesel oil (MDO) and lubricating oil. The experiment was performed with three different sorbents (straw, straw modified with methoxytrimethylsilanes (MTMS) and wood chip shavings) and without them. The evaporation loss and the dissolved and sorbed fractions of oil were measured by gas chromatography (GC) to evaluate remediation efficiency. Hydrophobization made the natural sorbents buoyant for the duration of the experiment, with only a slight increase in the maximum sorption capacity. The sorbents increased the evaporation of the oils and also of the water, reduced the proportion of the oil dissolved in water and retained the sorbed proportion for the lubricating oil and partly for the MDO, to such an extent that it could not be extracted entirely even after a 60-min extraction time
