Guest at hospice: time for consideration

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• End-of-Life Studies
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Hospice care aims to improve the quality of life for terminally ill patients.
• Understanding the daily lived experiences of hospice residents is crucial for enhancing care.
• Previous research has explored various aspects of end-of-life care, but resident perspectives on daily well-being require further in-depth exploration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the daily life situations and perceived well-being of terminally ill individuals in a hospice setting.
• To identify the key internal and external factors that contribute to the well-being of hospice residents.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with nine terminally ill hospice guests.
• Content analysis methodology was employed to analyze interview data.
• Identification of emergent themes related to resident well-being.

Main Results:

• Key factors for well-being include staff encouragement and pain alleviation.
• A calm hospice atmosphere and significant family visits are essential.
• Residents expressed regret over loss of self-care and a need for life reconciliation time.

Conclusions:

• Hospice residents require a balance of social connection (family, staff) and personal privacy for reflection.
• Addressing both external needs (pain, environment) and internal needs (life reconciliation) is vital for holistic end-of-life care.
• Findings underscore the importance of a supportive and reflective environment in hospice care.