Family beliefs regarding the nutritional care of a terminally ill relative: a qualitative study

Family beliefs regarding the nutritional care of a terminally ill relative: a qualitative study

McClement SE; Degner LF; Harlos MS

Journal Of Palliative Medicine

2003

Female; Humans; Male; Palliative Care; Adult; Canada; Middle Aged; Nutritional Support; Practice; adolescent; Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support; Interviews; Terminally Ill/psychology; Attitudes; Family/psychology; Health Knowledge; Neoplasms/psychology/therapy; History; 18th Century

OBJECTIVE: To develop a conceptual model of family caregiver beliefs and behavior related to nutritional care of the terminally ill by examining the perspectives of family members, patients, and health care providers. DESIGN: Qualitative study using in-depth, open-ended, face to face interviews, participant observation, and content analysis. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 47 participants from 4 groups: hospitalized palliative patients with cancer (n = 13), family members of hospitalized palliative patients with cancer (n = 13), health care providers on a palliative care unit (n = 11), and bereaved family members who had previously experienced the death of a relative on a palliative care unit. OUTCOME MEASURES: Participant views on nutritional care in the terminal phases of illness. RESULTS: There is marked variability in the ways family members respond to a dying cachectic anorexic relative. The overarching theme of "doing what's best" captures this variability and integrates the major categories into the key analytic model emerging from this study. CONCLUSION: We have developed a conceptual model of family beliefs regarding the nutritional care of a hospitalized terminally ill relative. The model has implications for education, practice, and research regarding nutritional care in the palliative care setting.

2003

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