Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Jul 2013
Signs of post-traumatic stress disorder in caregivers following an expected death: a qualitative study.
Complications of grief are an important area of investigation with potential to improve the well-being of palliative care caregivers. There has been little study of the prevalence or significance of post-traumatic stress disorder for those bereaved after an expected death. ⋯ This exploratory study demonstrates the phenomenon of the 'shocked caregiver'. If trauma symptoms are present in bereaved carers in palliative care, it has implications for palliative care provision. Given that trauma symptoms may be distinct from prolonged grief disorder, this may also have implications for provision of bereavement counselling. Further research into this phenomenon is required.
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Palliative medicine · Jul 2013
Living with breathlessness: a survey of caregivers of breathless patients with lung cancer or heart failure.
Breathlessness is a common, distressing symptom in patients with advanced disease. With increasing focus on home death for patients, carers are expected to support breathless people at home. Little is known about how carers experience breathlessness and the differences in caring for someone with breathlessness and malignant or non-malignant disease. ⋯ Those who care for breathless patients report high levels of unmet needs and burden, equally severe for heart failure and lung cancer caregivers. Caregivers of patients with more severe breathlessness report fewer positive caring experiences and should be targeted by services with increased support in managing this symptom.
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Palliative medicine · Jul 2013
Uncovering an invisible network of direct caregivers at the end of life: a population study.
Most palliative care research about caregivers relies on reports from spouses or adult children. Some recent clinical reports have noted the assistance provided by other family members and friends. ⋯ This substantial network of caregivers who are mainly invisible to the health team provide the majority of care. Hospice and palliative care services need to create specific ways of identifying and engaging this cohort in order to ensure they are receiving adequate support in the role. Relying on 'next-of-kin' status in research will not identify them.
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Palliative medicine · Jul 2013
Bereaved relatives' perspectives of the patient's oral intake towards the end of life: a qualitative study.
Patients approaching death often have a decreasing oral intake, which can be distressing for relatives. Little is known about the relatives' experiences with and perceptions of oral intake at the end of life. ⋯ This study revealed the complexity of meaning relatives' experiences with dying patients' decreasing oral intake. Their perceptions and concerns were related to their awareness of the imminent death. These findings can guide staff involved in care delivery to better support relatives.