Abstract
This study adopts a qualitative interview method with family members of patients, aiming to explore their perceptions, experiences, and suggestions regarding home palliative care. Several key themes emerged from the interviews: (1) The disadvantages of home palliative care were perceived to outweigh the advantages. These include insufficient home equipment and assistive devices, increased physical burden on caregivers, lack of caregiving knowledge among family members, infrequent home visits by medical staff, and inadequate psychosocial and spiritual support for patients and families; (2) Family members had varied emotional responses to the experience. Positive experiences included renewed appreciation for the patient’s past contributions and love, fostering gratitude and affection. Negative experiences included concerns that the patient’s physical care at home was inferior to hospital care, resulting in regret for choosing home-based palliative care; (3) The impact on family caregivers was largely negative, leading to increased psychological stress, strained relationships among caregivers, and disruption of normal routines, social life, and family dynamics. In conclusion, the role of the interdisciplinary palliative care team in home settings remains focused primarily on physical care—particularly pain relief, respiratory support, and prevention of constipation through medication. Psychological, social, and spiritual support mainly comes from the family, existing social networks, and religious communities, rather than the palliative care team. This study highlights current limitations in home palliative care services: healthcare teams lack the capacity to provide holistic support, and the integration of medical professionals with community resources is still insufficient.
Presenters
Yi-jung LiuAssociate Professor, Gerontology and Long Term Care, Fooyin University, Taiwan
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
The Physiology, Kinesiology and Psychology of Wellness in its Social Context
KEYWORDS
Home-Based Palliative Care, Family Caregiver
