Family caregivers' experiences of end-of-life care in the acute hospital setting : A qualitative study

Background: Acute hospital settings are generally not considered adequate places for end- of- life care, but terminally ill patients will continue to die in acute medical wards in the unforeseeable future. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate family caregivers’ experiences of end- of- life...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences
Main Authors: Robertson, Svala Berglind, Hjörleifsdóttir, Elísabet, Sigurðardóttir, Þórhalla
Other Authors: Faculty of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, Landspitali - The National University Hospital of Iceland
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2022
Subjects:
Dauði
Sjúkrahús
Aðstandendur
acute hospital settings
bereavement
communication
end-of-life care
environment
family caregivers
grief
palliative care
Iceland
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/4118
https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.13025
Description
Summary:Background: Acute hospital settings are generally not considered adequate places for end- of- life care, but terminally ill patients will continue to die in acute medical wards in the unforeseeable future. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate family caregivers’ experiences of end- of- life care in an acute community hospital in Iceland. Methods: Fifteen in- depth qualitative semi- structured interviews were conducted with participants who had been primary caregivers. The transcribed interviews were analysed using thematic content analysis. Findings: Findings indicated that the acute hospital setting is not a suitable environ-ment for end- of- life care. Effective communication and management of symptoms characterised by warmth and security give a sense of resilience. Three main themes emerged: (1) Environmental influences on quality of care; (2) Communication in end- of- life care; (3) The dying process. Each of the themes encompassed a variety of subthemes. Conclusions: Findings suggest that effective communication is the cornerstone of quality of care in the acute hospital environment and essential for establishing a sense of security. The severity of symptoms can deeply affect family caregivers’ well- being. Acknowledging and appreciating the meaning of respect and dignity at the end- of- life from family caregivers’ perspective is vital. Peer reviewed

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