Family communication and perceptions of the end-of-life experience of older adults with chronic disease
Date
2021
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Background/Purpose: The chronic disease course can be long and uncertain, contributing to delayed end-of-life discussion. End-of-life decision-making often occurs within families and hospice is known to improve the dying experience but is underused. Gaps exist in 1) understanding how family communication patterns (conversation and conformity) affect the end-of-life experiences of older adults who died in hospice, and 2) how the timing of hospice enrollment may moderate this relationship. ☐ Methods: This study utilized a cross-sectional design with a convenience sample of 56 adults with a loved one who died in hospice. Specifically, this study utilized the Revised Family Communication Pattern Theory to examine family perceptions of the end-of-life experience in multiple linear regression models. ☐ Results: It was hypothesized that family communication (specifically conversation and conformity) would be associated with family perception of end-of-life care, quality of end-of-life care, and quality of dying and death. While there was no evidence to support these hypotheses, hospice timing was associated with end-of-life outcomes, which is consistent with one study hypothesis. ☐ Conclusions & Implications: Conclusions: Length of time in hospice and family members’ opinion on the length of time in hospice are independent factors associated with the quality of the end-of-life experience. These study findings may be used in the long-term to develop family and patient-level interventions to aid providers in hospice timing decision-making. A better understanding of the factors associated with hospice timing within families may significantly improve end-of-life care outcomes.
Description
Keywords
Chronic illness, Communication, End-of-life, Family, Hospice, Older adult