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End-of-life care in the community hospitals: the perceptions of bereaved family members

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 15:15 authored by Sheila Hawker, Chris Kerr, Sheila Payne, David Seamark, Carol Davis, Helen Roberts, Nicola Jarrett, Paul Roderick, Helen Smith
Objectives: The perceptions of bereaved family members were obtained to evaluate the nature and quality of end-of-life care in community hospitals. Design: During organizational case studies in six community hospitals in the South East and South West of England, bereaved family members were asked to participate in semi-structured interviews. Participants: Fifty-one interviews were conducted with family members of patients who had received end-of-life care in a community hospital within the previous year. Results: Respondents were very positive about the care they and the patient had received. They valued the convenience of access for frequent and long-stay visiting and the familiarity of the local hospital. Comparisons were made with more negative experiences at their nearest District General Hospital. Issues raised included the noise at the community hospitals, and the lack of contact with qualified nurses. Discussion: The results of this study have implications for UK government initiatives, such as the National Framework for Older People,1 and the Department of Health's ‘Keeping the NHS Local’2.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Palliative Medicine

ISSN

0269-2163

Issue

5

Volume

20

Page range

541-547

Department affiliated with

  • Primary Care and Public Health Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2010-04-08

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