Abstract
Purpose
Although 50% of cancer patients in Norway die in a hospital setting, there has been
little research exploring how family members experience their presence at the hospital
during their loved ones last days before death.
This study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of these experiences, and to advance
knowledge for improving palliative care in relation to caregivers.
Method
A grounded theory design was used, with data derived by interviews with 8 female spouses.
Results
The data revealed a core category defined as Maintaining presence – for the other and for one’s own sake, embracing four categories - to find one’s place, to know, to support each other and to terminate. The core category represents the couple’s need to keep continuity in the relationship,
physically and emotionally, even when the patient is admitted to hospital.
Conclusions
This study displays the importance that health care workers acknowledge and organize
for family members to be able to spend time or cohabit with patients admitted to hospitals
at the terminal stage. This may increase family members’ sense of empowerment and
coping, and positively influence how they experience the period both before and after
the death of their loved ones.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 15, 2010
Identification
Copyright
© 2010 Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
