Modern sisters of mercy in the system of palliative care in Russia: a sociological analysis

Abstract

. In modern society, the number of people who need not just constant medical, but specialized social and medical, or palliative assistance is constantly increas-ing. Unfortunately, the modern health care system cannot fully provide such assistance to all who need it. In this regard, the introduction of new non-state institutions into the social practice that are able to satisfy the existing social order becomes especially relevant. One of these subjects of palliative care is the sisterhoods of mercy of the Russian Orthodox Church. The specificity of the provision of palliative care by sisters of mercy lies in the comprehensive provision of social, medical and spiritual, and religious assistance. Especially important when working with incurable patients are the personal qualities of employees of palliative care services, because their di-rect contact directly affects the quality of life of the patient. In this regard, on the ba-sis of empirical data, we have identified some specific ideological characteristics of the sisters of mercy as a small social group and compiled a social portrait of modern sisters of mercy. The complex of value orientations of sisters of mercy is represented by various values. The most important of them for the sisters of mercy are the values of a spiritual and religious nature.