This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Brazil, K. Articles by Heidebrecht, C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Brazil, K. Articles by Heidebrecht, C. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Preferences for place of care and place of death among informal caregivers of the terminally ill

Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton and St. Joseph's Health System Research Network, Hamilton

Doris Howell

University of Toronto, Toronto

Michel Bedard

Department of Psychology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay

Paul Krueger

Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton and St. Joseph's Health System Research Network, Hamilton

Christine Heidebrecht

St. Joseph's Health System Research Network, Hamilton, Canada

Objectives: (1) To determine informal caregivers perceptions about place of care and place of death; and (2) to identify variables associated with a home death among terminally ill individuals who received in–home support services in a publicly funded home care system.

Participants and design: A total of 216 informal caregivers participated in a bereavement interview. Data collection included care recipient and informal caregiver characteristics, the use of and satisfaction with community services, and preferences about place of death.

Results: Most caregivers reported that they and the care recipient had a preferred place of death (77 and 68%, respectively) with over 63% reporting home as the preferred place of death. Caregivers had a greater preference for an institutional death (14%) than care recipients (4.7%). While 30% of care recipients did not die in their preferred location, most caregivers (92%) felt, in retrospect, that where the care recipient died was the appropriate place of death. Most caregivers reported being satisfied with the care that was provided. The odds of dying at home were greater when the care recipient stated a preference for place of death (OR: 2.92; 95% CI: 1.25, 6.85), and the family physician made home visits during the care recipients last month of life (Univariate odds ratios (OR): 4.42; 95% CI: 1.46, 13.36).

Discussion: The ethic of self–control and choice for the care recipient must be balanced with consideration for the well being of the informal caregiver and responsiveness of the community service system.

Key Words: community care • informal caregivers • palliative care • preferred place of death

Palliative Medicine, Vol. 19, No. 6, 492-499 (2005)
DOI: 10.1191/0269216305pm1050oa


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Bell, E Somogyi-Zalud, and K. Masaki Methodological review: measured and reported congruence between preferred and actual place of death Palliative Medicine, September 1, 2009; 23(6): 482 - 490. [Abstract] [PDF]

				G. Grande, G Ewing, and On behalf of the National Forum for Hospice at Hom Informal carer bereavement outcome: relation to quality of end of life support and achievement of preferred place of death Palliative Medicine, April 1, 2009; 23(3): 248 - 256. [Abstract] [PDF]

				G Grande and G Ewing Death at home unlikely if informal carers prefer otherwise: implications for policy Palliative Medicine, December 1, 2008; 22(8): 971 - 972. [PDF]

				M. Miyashita, T. Morita, and K. Hirai Evaluation of End-of-Life Cancer Care From the Perspective of Bereaved Family Members: The Japanese Experience J. Clin. Oncol., August 10, 2008; 26(23): 3845 - 3852. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Brink and T. Frise Smith Determinants of Home Death in Palliative Home Care: Using the interRAI Palliative Care to Assess End-of-Life Care American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, August 1, 2008; 25(4): 263 - 270. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. L. Decker and I. J. Higginson A tale of two cities: Factors affecting place of cancer death in London and New York Eur J Public Health, June 1, 2007; 17(3): 285 - 290. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Daley and K. Sinclair Recording and auditing preferred place of death Palliative Medicine, September 1, 2006; 20(6): 637 - 638. [PDF]

				B. Aabom, J. Kragstrup, H. Vondeling, L. S Bakketeig, and H. Stovring Does persistent involvement by the GP improve palliative care at home for end-stage cancer patients? Palliative Medicine, July 1, 2006; 20(5): 507 - 512. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. Beccaro, M. Costantini, P. G. Rossi, G. Miccinesi, M. Grimaldi, P. Bruzzi, and on behalf of the 'ISDOC Study Group' Actual and preferred place of death of cancer patients. Results from the Italian survey of the dying of cancer (ISDOC) J Epidemiol Community Health, May 1, 2006; 60(5): 412 - 416. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]