Identity & Dignity: How Walking Away Paralyzed from Abuse paved my Path of Soul-Discovery

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I feel like some kind of cattle. In some way it feels a bit impersonal, when you just like come along like sheep and just stand there and let them keep on rubbing in soap and showering you. (Interview with resident, 87 years) Thinking about the services you provide, consider how you would meet the needs of the people described above.

The need to respect human dignity has been written in the Iranian constitution law. Article 2 of the Iranian Constitution Law mentions six principles and infrastructures as basic to the governing system which in Article 1 is called the Islamic Republic of Iran. The sixth principle of this Article concerns human dignity and stipulates that "the Islamic Republic of Iran is a system founded on faith in ….6) Human dignity and high value and his/her freedom as well as his responsibility before God"[3]. Besides, in the prelude to the Constitution, human dignity is referred to concerning the mass media. [64] South Africa [ edit ] United Nations. World Population Ageing (Highlights). 2017. https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/ageing/WPA2017_Highlights.pdf. Accessed 14 Mar 2022. The assistant nurse helped me with a bra I was annoyed with. It bothers me that I can’t do it myself. I can’t control my body. I feel upset and annoyed that I can’t control necessary things. It feels degrading. (Interview with resident, 87 years)Life goes on, well sort of. I don’t get involved as much these days, I feel like I am done with life. Sometimes you are sad, but mostly you are quite … well, empty. It has just got to end. (Interview with resident, 87 years) The links between clothes and identity are very clear – think of class, gender and age. A person’s identity as a member of an ethnic minority or faith group may be expressed through the clothes they are culturally bound to wear, prefer to wear or are used to wearing. There is evidence that the link may be especially important to people with dementia, (see e.g. Twigg and Buse 2013).

The Swiss Federal Constitution provides in article 7 that "Human dignity must be respected and protected." [66] It also provides, in art. 120, that the state must "take account of the dignity of living beings as well as the safety of human beings, animals and the environment" when legislating on the use of reproductive and genetic material; [67] consequently the Federal Ethics Commission on Non-Human Biotechnology (ECNH) issued, in 2008, a publication entitled "The dignity of living beings with regard to plants". [68] See also [ edit ]I think I’ve been quite healthy actually, so why did I have a stroke now, I don’t understand? I took my Warfarin and had staff who gave it to me, so I didn’t miss any. I don’t understand what happened. (Interview with resident, 88 years) In ordinary modern usage, the word denotes " respect" and " status", and it is often used to suggest that someone is not receiving a proper degree of respect, or even that they are failing to treat themselves with proper self-respect. There is also a long history of special philosophical use of this term. However, it is rarely defined outright in political, legal, and scientific discussions. International proclamations have thus far left dignity undefined, [5] [6] and scientific commentators, such as those arguing against genetic research and algeny, cite dignity as a reason but are ambiguous about its application. [7] As a part of a research project on Dignity and Older Europeans (Fifth Framework (Quality of Life) Programme3) I explore in this paper a set of notions of human dignity. The general concept of dignity is introduced and characterized as a position on a value scale and it is further specified through its relations to the notions of right, respect and self-respect. I present four kinds of dignity and spell out their differences: the dignity of merit, the dignity of moral or existential stature, the dignity of identity and the universal human dignity (Menschenwürde). Menschenwürde pertains to all human beings to the same extent and cannot be lost as long as the persons exist. The dignity of merit depends on social rank and position. There are many species of this kind of dignity and it is very unevenly distributed among human beings. The dignity of merit exists in degrees and it can come and go. The dignity of moral stature is the result of the moral deeds of the subject; likewise it can be reduced or lost through his or her immoral deeds. This kind of dignity is tied to the idea of a dignified character and of dignity as a virtue. The dignity of moral stature is a dignity of degree and it is also unevenly distributed. The dignity of identity is tied to the integrity of the subject's body and mind, and in many instances, although not always, also dependent on the subject's self-image. This dignity can come and go as a result of the deeds of fellow human beings and also as a result of changes in the subject's body and mind.

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens Although residents’ bodies were the largest violators of dignity, the most dignity-conserving repertoire came from within. It was apparent that they had different personalities, coloured by their previous lives. Despite this, they were proud of having coped independently and with endurance. Their acquired perspectives of self-knowledge provided them with tools to distinguish what was still possible from what they just had to accept. Thus, even those with extensive care needs and no control found ways to escape negative thoughts and find meaning in everyday life. This ability may result from inner creativity, helping residents to remain self-dependent, even if their bodies fail [ 53]. Residents in this study appeared to have found dignity by accepting disease and deterioration with a fighting spirit, which aligns with research with younger people with multiple sclerosis [ 54]. Everyone experiences changes to their sense of personal identity at times in their lives. Some of these changes can be difficult and painful; for new parents, for example, or at retirement, divorce or when losing a partner. Apart from the obvious loss of freedom, income or companionship, we may feel that our identity has shifted in a way that somehow downgrades us in the outside world. Dignity is fundamental to current social care policy. A focus for all adult social care and support was set out in the Care Act 2014. The Act begins by defining the primary responsibility of local authorities as the promotion of individual ‘wellbeing’. Mary has always cared for her son Daniel who is 48 and has physical and learning disabilities. Mary and Daniel have a dog, who they both are very attached to. Daniel works at a local gardening project and he has a good friend there. He loves football and supports the local team – a friend of Mary’s will often go to a match with Daniel.Andorno R. The dual role of human dignity in bioethics. Med Health Care Philos. 2013;16:967–73. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11019-011-9373-5

Dignity is the right of a person to be valued and respected for their own sake, and to be treated ethically. It is of significance in morality, ethics, law and politics as an extension of the Enlightenment-era concepts of inherent, inalienable rights. The term may also be used to describe personal conduct, as in "behaving with dignity".This study had some methodological limitations. First, most participants were women. This may have resulted in a female perspective of dignity-conserving interventions. A male perspective might have added other aspects. Alternatively, women generally live longer than men [ 64], and, as NHs foremost are populated by women, a female perspective is important. Second, social desirability bias must always be considered in studies [ 65]. This may have influenced residents to respond in a way they believed more appropriate or socially acceptable, resulting in the withholding of true thoughts and feelings. To reduce this, the first author spent a considerable amount of time in the NH, in fact, 170 h over six months, which provided a rich amount of data and a great depth of understanding of the aspects that influence the residents’ dignity. Third, data collection took place in 2017. This might appear to be a limitation; nevertheless, the conditions concerning staff and median length of stay in NHs in Sweden are similar today. Further, the insights revealed here add valuable knowledge to inform how dignity is embodied in NH practice. Recommendations for practice