phd thesis in palliative care

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• v.8; Jan-Dec 2022

Palliative Care: A Concept Analysis Review

Wantonoro wantonoro.

1 Department of Nursing, Universitas ‘Aisyiyah Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Endang Koni Suryaningsih

2 Department of Midwifery, Universitas ‘Aisyiyah Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Diyah Chandra Anita

Tuan van nguyen.

3 Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Medical Technology, Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Can Tho City, Vietnam

Introduction

Palliative care is critically important for the world’s aging population and can change illness trajectories and promote advances in health care technologies. As health care team members, nurses have the most contact with palliative care patients. However, misconceptions about which patients need to receive palliative care may be an obstacle to meeting patients’ needs for palliative care.

This study aimed to describe preceding events, characteristics and outcomes of patients in palliative care according to current concept analysis studies.

A literature review was conducted. Inclusion criteria were: (1) concept analysis studies, (2) use of the term palliative care or palliative nursing care, (3) palliative care explanation including antecedents, attributes, and consequences, and (4) articles written in English published between 2004 and 2021.

Four concept analysis studies on palliative care were included in this review. Palliative care was described as an approach to alleviating physical and psychological suffering and improving patients’ and families’ quality of life in the early stages of diagnosed illness. Terminal illnesses, acute or chronic diseases, and actual or potentially life-threatening illnesses were confirmed as the events preceding palliative care. Characteristics of palliative care include holistic care, interdisciplinary teamwork, and compassionate, patient- and family-centered care. Improved patient and family quality of life, enhanced human dignity, improved self-care, and strengthened coping abilities are outcomes of palliative care.

Conclusions/Implications for Practice

Palliative care is a concept that is related to the early stage of an illness, the timing of illness diagnosis, and the onset of symptoms. Including palliative care terms in nursing education and training and developing palliative care models in clinical practice are recommended to ensure nurses understand the services of the palliative care needs of patients and their families. Future reviews, including grounded qualitative studies on the concept of palliative care, are recommended.

Palliative care interventions have increased worldwide. Studies have predicted the future global burden of serious health-related suffering will increase ( Sleeman et al., 2019 ), 87% patients will need palliative care interventions by 2060 ( Clark et al., 2020 ). Palliative care is critically important for the world's aging population and can change illness trajectories and promote advances in health care technologies ( Cruz-Oliver, 2017 ). One study reported that palliative care is predicted to be utilized by 20 million people annually, of which 69% will be adults over 60 years old and 6% will be children ( Connor & Sepulveda, 2018 ). To address the needs of a wide range of patients for whom the term “ dying ” is inappropriate yet require concerted effort to reduce the suffering they experience and improve their quality of life, palliative care is highly needed ( Ferrell et al., 2017 ; Hawley, 2017 ; Krakauer et al., 2021 ). The three times at which palliative care is best implemented have been recommended, and they include the early stage of the illness, the time of the illness diagnosis, and the onset of symptoms ( Howie & Peppercorn, 2013 ).

Studies have reported the most common interventionists who meet with palliative care patients are nurses, as a health care team members ( Fliedner et al., 2021 ; Schroeder & Lorenz, 2018 ). Studies reported nurses, as health care team members, have the most contact with palliative care patients ( Dobrina et al., 2014 ; Head et al., 2018 ; Hickman et al., 2020 ). Palliative care is a subspecialty in nursing practice that continues to evolve as the art and science of nursing evolves ( Figueredo Borda et al., 2019 ).

Professional knowledge and person-oriented competence are highly intertwined in the palliative nurse's role ( Filej et al., 2018 ; Sekse et al., 2018 ). However, many health care professionals have misconceptions about palliative care antecedents, attributes, and consequences, which may be an obstacle to assuring their patients’ needs for palliative care are identified and met in a timely fashion ( Buss et al., 2017 ). In addition, the multidisciplinary palliative care approach requires gaining confidence in performing palliative care and the ability to explain palliative nurses’ role ( Dobrina et al., 2014 ).

On the other hand, palliative care service needs are a dynamic concept that constantly changes following the initial stage of a patient's illness and family needs. Therefore, comprehension of the disease and evaluation of what constitutes quality of life and death for people with serious illnesses are needed ( Cruz-Oliver, 2017 ). Evolution necessitates that every health professional understand the dramatic changes in the concept of palliative care ( Ryan et al., 2020 ). Therefore, this paper presents a review and an update of the palliative care concept, including antecedents, attributes, and consequences, based on recent developments in this field, especially in the recent update on palliative care in concept analysis studies.

Research Design and Methods

As the researchers sought to identify gaps in knowledge and trends in a particular research area and to map the literature, the literature review method was considered suitable to meet this need ( Kim et al., 2020 ). Therefore, the palliative nursing care concept of this review applied the classical stages by Arksey and O’Malley ( Arksey & O’Malley, 2005 ; Peters et al., 2015a , 2015b ) to understand palliative care, consisting of (1) identifying questions, (2) identifying relevant articles, (3) article selection, (4) data charting, and (5) discussion and conclusion.

Identifying the Research Question

The terms palliative care, hospice and end-of-life care are sometimes used interchangeably ( Mollica et al., 2018 ); bearing some similarity, the concepts actually are not the same ( Krau, 2016 ). Misconceptions about palliative care are due to the lack of understanding about palliative care, which is often confused with other terms possibly creating an obstacle to ensuring the care needs of patients. Health care providers often list palliative care as the last option after knowing that there is little hope of recovery or until all treatment options have been exhausted ( Avanzato, 2017 ). Providing palliative care services require a clear comprehension of the current concept of palliative care. Therefore, clarification of the palliative care concept, including antecedents, attributes, and consequences, is needed.

Identifying Relevant Studies

Searching electronic databases.

In January 2022, comprehensive searches were conducted in the PubMed, ProQuest, and Medline databases and grey literature was searched in Google Scholar to look for a leading and clear concept of “palliative nursing care” were retrieved using the following keywords: “palliative” OR “palliative care,” AND “concept ” OR “concept analysis” OR “concept analysis” AND “ nursing ” OR “ nursing care” OR “nursing intervention.” The inclusion criteria of the study were as follows: (1) concept analysis studies, (2) using the term palliative care or palliative nursing care, (3) clearly discussed concept and/or definition of palliative care including antecedents, attributes, and consequences in the texts, and (4) full texts in English published between 2004 and 2021. The study excluded letters, commentaries, theses, books, and opinion articles.

Article Selection

The data filtering process employed a PRISMA flowchart. The criteria were applied during the screening stages (title, abstract, and full text content screening). PRISMA was considered appropriate for use due to its function in improving the published report quality ( Peters et al., 2015b ) ( Figure 1 ). The articles’ titles, abstracts, and full texts were examined by two researchers to check their eligibility. After that, the researchers screened the full texts of some potential studies to determine the eligibility of the texts to be included in the review. Whether the studies were ultimately included in the review were decided by the third and fourth researchers. As a result, four studies were included in the review ( Table 1 ). All the included studies clearly presented the concept of palliative care, including antecedents, attributes, and consequences.

PRISMA flowchart.

Table 1.

Descriptive Characteristics of the Included Articles ( n  = 4).

Data Charting

The data were extracted from four articles that fulfilled the inclusion criteria of the review (see Table 1 ). The researchers extracted the following variables: (a) authors/year; (b) title; (c) purposes; (d) methods; (e) presentation of concepts (attributes, antecedents, and consequences), and (f) authors’ definition of palliative care in each included article. Attributes, antecedents, and consequences and the researcher's palliative care definition were summarized to make a strong conclusion of the palliative care definition and the characteristics of the patients in the context of palliative care.

A primary search of the databases resulted in 29,358 studies. Twenty-nine thousand three-hundred forty-three studies were excluded because the titles did not contain the concept of palliative care, and the remaining 15 abstracts were screened. Six full-text articles were considered appropriate for a full review. Of the six, four fulfilled the criteria to be reviewed ( Figure 1 ).

Characteristics of the Included Studies

The four included studies were focused on the palliative care concept analysis. Two studies analyzed general palliative care ( Guo et al., 2012 ; Meghani, 2004 ). One study focused on palliative care nursing concept analysis ( Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ), and one study focused on the concept analysis for pediatric nursing practice ( Stayer, 2012 ). Two studies used the Walker and Avant model of concept analysis ( Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ; Stayer, 2012 ), and two others used Rodgers’ evolutionary concept analysis ( Guo et al., 2012 ; Meghani, 2004 ). All the included studies presented antecedents, attributes, and consequences and provided definitions of palliative care.

Definition of Palliative Care

All of the included studies explained as an approach to relieving physical and, psychological suffering or suffering alleviation and, improving the quality of life of patients with a progressive disease or serious injury ( Guo et al., 2012 ; Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ; Meghani, 2004 ; Stayer, 2012 ). Palliative care is caring to whom the term “ dying ” is inappropriate to apply ( Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ; Meghani, 2004 ) and, their families.

Antecedents

Antecedents are the events preceding the occurrence of a concept ( Walker & Avant, 2005 ). The antecedents of confirmed palliative care are (1) terminal illnesses such as cancer and Human Immunodeficiency Virus- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV-AIDS) ( Guo et al., 2012 ), (2) acute or chronic diseases, and (3) actually or potentially life-threatening illnesses ( Guo et al., 2012 ; Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ; Meghani, 2004 ; Stayer, 2012 ).

Attributes are characteristics of a concept that occur most frequently ( Walker & Avant, 2005 ). The attributes of palliative care reported are holism ( Guo et al., 2012 ; Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ; Stayer, 2012 ), interdisciplinary teamwork ( Guo et al., 2012 ; Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ; Meghani, 2004 ; Stayer, 2012 ), effective communication (patients, families, and the interdisciplinary team) ( Guo et al., 2012 ; Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ; Stayer, 2012 ) or compassion (therapeutic and trusting relationship) ( Meghani, 2004 ), individualized patient care ( Meghani, 2004 ; Stayer, 2012 ), and patient- and family-centered care ( Guo et al., 2012 ; Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ; Stayer, 2012 ).

Consequences

The events or incidents that occur due to the occurrence of outcomes of the concept are known as consequences ( Walker & Avant, 2005 ). All of the studies reported that palliative care improved the patients’ and their families’ quality of life ( Guo et al., 2012 ; Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ; Meghani, 2004 ; Stayer, 2012 ). Other consequences reported were the enhancement of human dignity ( Guo et al., 2012 ; Meghani, 2004 ), improved self-care, symptom care management, and strengthened coping abilities ( Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ; Meghani, 2004 ).

This review was designed to provide an extensive overview of the palliative care concept defined by concept analysis studies and the characteristics of patients in palliative care based on their antecedents. An approach to clarifying and defining concepts into clear and understandable language is known as concept analysis ( Walker & Avant, 2005 ). This review study identified four (concept analysis) studies in the literature that examined the concept and characteristics in terms of palliative care.

The included studies defined the term palliative as an approach to relieving physical and psychological suffering or suffering alleviation and improving the quality of life of patients with a progressive disease or serious injury ( Guo et al., 2012 ; Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ; Meghani, 2004 ; Stayer, 2012 ), not only those who are termed “ dying ” ( Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ; Meghani, 2004 ), and their families; the focus is not only on cases of advanced cancer patients ( Guo et al., 2012 ; Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ; Meghani, 2004 ; Stayer, 2012 ). World Health Organization (WHO) provided the first definition of palliative care: to comfort patients experiencing distressing symptoms of advanced cancer is the focus of palliative care ( Relief, Active Supportive, & World Health, 1990 ). In 2002, the WHO defined palliative care as “an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with a life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychological and spiritual” ( Iwase & Mori, 2013 ; Organization, 2002 ). Consensus study informed palliative care is holistic care to improve the quality of life of patients, their families and, their caregivers ( Radbruch et al., 2020 ). It is implied that palliative care is an approach to alleviating the suffering from incurable illness or disease symptoms and to improving the patient's and family's quality of life.

The characteristics of palliative care patients were confirmed by the antecedents of the studies included in this review. The occurrence of a concept must be preceded by events that are known as antecedents ( Walker & Avant, 2005 ), in this case implying the characteristics of palliative care patients. Terminal illnesses such as advanced cancer and HIV-AIDS ( Guo et al., 2012 ), acute or chronic diseases, and actually or potentially life-threatening illnesses ( Guo et al., 2012 ; Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ; Meghani, 2004 ; Stayer, 2012 ) have been confirmed as characteristics of patients in the context of palliative care. All terminal care qualifies as palliative care, but not all palliative care can be classified as terminal care ( Meghani, 2004 ). Terminal condition is a condition resulting from injury, disease, or illness from which, to a reasonable degree of certainty, health cannot be restored and natural death will inevitably be caused in the absence of artificial life-prolonging procedures ( Hui et al., 2014 ). There is no set list of illnesses that are terminal. People who are terminally ill may have a single disease or a number of conditions, for example, advanced cancer, dementia (including Alzheimer's), motor neuron disease, lung disease, neurological disease such as Parkinson, or advanced heart disease. Another study defined terminal illnesses as irreversible fatal illnesses and unfavorable prognoses involving limited life expectancy ranging from 24 months or less ( Hui et al., 2014 ). Meanwhile, chronic diseases are diseases that are long-lasting and generally show slow progression, without any specification about functional limitation and the need for ongoing medical treatments and care (Pizzoli et al., 2019). Another study explained that chronic diseases refer to diagnoses that are classified in the biomedical system according to etiology, pathophysiology, signs, symptoms, and treatment, which also implies an expected long duration and lack of cure ( Martin, 2007 ), including both non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, and depression, and communicable diseases such as AIDS ( Martin, 2007 ). On the other hand, severe acute illnesses (whose patients are in intensive care settings), congenital injuries, life-threatening injuries from accidents, or other forms of trauma at any age have been ( Guo et al., 2012 ; Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ) confirmed to be accounted for in the characteristics of palliative care.

Palliative care approaches, including holistic ( Guo et al., 2012 ; Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ), interdisciplinary ( Guo et al., 2012 ; Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ; Meghani, 2004 ; Stayer, 2012 ), effectively communicative ( Guo et al., 2012 ; Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ; Stayer, 2012 ), compassionate ( Meghani, 2004 ), individualized ( Meghani, 2004 ; Stayer, 2012 ), and patient- and family-centered care ( Guo et al., 2012 ; Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ; Stayer, 2012 ), are identified in this review. A study reported that palliative care best practices apply patient-centered methods and an interdisciplinary teamwork approach ( Dobrina et al., 2014 ). In communicating the patient's prognosis and condition (as determined by a medical or advanced practice provider), the nurse must be clear, accurate, and honest and must express genuine empathy for the patient's situation ( Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ). How the nurse communicates must be therapeutic, kind, and appropriate to the patient's age and developmental stage ( Guo et al., 2012 ; Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ; Meghani, 2004 ). Empathy to understand the patient's suffering should be combined with willingness to help and promote his or her wellbeing ( Perez-Bret et al., 2016 ). The delivery of emotional support for the patient and the family in coping or grieving, both before and after death, is also required in palliative care nursing ( Desbiens & Fillion, 2011 ; Galatsch et al., 2017 ). Multifaceted therapies that incorporate physical, developmental, functional, psychological, sociocultural, spiritual, and safety needs as complementary and alternative therapies may also be necessary to meet the patient's and the family's needs ( Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ).

The enhancement of the patient's and the family's quality of life and human dignity as a favorable outcome or consequence of palliative care ( Guo et al., 2012 ; Kirkpatrick et al., 2017 ; Meghani, 2004 ; Stayer, 2012 ) is found in this review. The focus of quality of life is on the aspects of the physical and mental health of an individual who is being affected by the occurrence of a disease or by a treatment ( Karimi & Brazier, 2016 ); quality of life has been an important and subjective clinical parameter that is used to evaluate the effects of an illness and the treatment outcomes ( Shyu et al., 2004 ; Wantonoro et al., 2020 ). Dignity is an individual condition related to well-being that is formed by relationships with others, affected by the physical world, and framed in terms of values, accommodating the priorities of both individualistic and communitarian cultures ( Mattson & Clark, 2011 ).

Limitations of the study : Several limitations in this review study, such as limited number of databases and unknown biases in the studies being reviewed, may have reduced the validity of the findings. Future reviews, including grounded qualitative studies on the concept of palliative care, are suggested.

Implication for Clinical Practice

Including palliative care terms in nursing education and clinical practice training and developing palliative care models in clinical practice are recommended to ensure the palliative care needs of patients and their families.

Changing illness trajectories, advances in health care technologies, and aging population trends highlight the increasing need for palliative care. More importantly, the findings of this review study have several implications. Patients who have actual or potentially life-threatening illnesses, as well as their families, need to have comprehensive care that aims to maintain and increase their quality of life.

Author Contributions: Study conception and design: W, EKS. Data collection: W, DCA. Data analysis and interpretation: W, EKS, DCA. Drafting of the article: W, DCA. Critical revision of the article: W, EKS, TVN.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding: The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

ORCID iDs: Wantonoro Wantonoro https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9662-6427

Tuan Van Nguyen https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7597-1141

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A qualitative exploration of the experiences of palliative care staff when working with death and dying

DClinPsych Thesis

https://repository.canterbury.ac.uk/item/8y192/a-qualitative-exploration-of-the-experiences-of-palliative-care-staff-when-working-with-death-and-dying

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Palliative care and nursing in dissertations and theses in Portugal: a bibliometric study

Affiliations.

• 1 Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Lousada, Porto, Portugal.
• 2 Unidade de Cuidados à Comunidade de Lousada, Lousada, Porto, Portugal.
• 3 Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
• 4 Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Medicina, Porto, Portugal.
• 5 Escola Superior de Enfermagem do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
• PMID: 27384213
• DOI: 10.1590/S0080-623420160000200019

Objective: To identify the academic scientific production on palliative care in master dissertations and PhD theses carried out by nurses in Portugal.

Method: A descriptive retrospective study of bibliometric type with search for the abstracts available in repositories of higher education institutions in the period 2000-2014.

Results: Of the 1814 papers identified, 249 met the inclusion criteria (ten doctoral theses and 239 master dissertations). The most representative methodological approach was quantitative (31.35%) and the most studied area was family/informal caregiver (20.69%). The most studied target population were the students/health professionals (38.51%).

Conclusion: The academic scientific production in this area has been growing in spite of the need for continued investment in order to fill the identified gaps.

Objetivo: Identificar a produção científica académica sobre cuidados paliativos nos estudos de mestrados e doutoramentos efetuados por enfermeiros em Portugal.

Método: Estudo descritivo e retrospetivo, do tipo bibliométrico, recorrendo aos resumos disponíveis nos repositórios das instituições de ensino superior no período 2000-2014.

Resultados: Dos 1814 trabalhos identificados, 249 corresponderam aos critérios de inclusão (10 teses de doutoramento e 239 dissertações de mestrado). A abordagem metodológica mais representativa é a quantitativa (31,35%), a área mais estudada foi a família/cuidador informal (20,69%) e a população-alvo mais estudada foram os estudantes/profissionais de saúde (38,51%).

Conclusão: A produção científica académica nessa área tem vindo a crescer. Embora exista necessidade de investimento contínuo de forma a colmatar as lacunas identificadas.

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• DOI: 10.15690/pf.v10i2.651
• Corpus ID: 78674659

Theoretical and Empirical Substantiation of Palliative Care in Pediatrics

• Russian Federation. , S. Moscow , Mazurova Nadezhda Vladimirovna
• Published 2013
• Medicine, Education

12 References

Pediatric end-of-life issues and palliative care., palliative care: the world health organization's global perspective., palliative care for infants, children, adolescents, and their families., when children die, the organization of palliative care for cancer patients and the outlook for its improvement, related papers.

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Caregivers Corner

When to transition from curative measures to palliative or hospice care.

Deciding when to stop seeking curative measures and transition to palliative or hospice care is a deeply personal and often challenging decision. Understanding the differences between these types of care and recognizing the appropriate time for each can help families make informed choices.

Curative Measures vs. Palliative and Hospice Care Curative measures aim to cure or significantly prolong life by treating the underlying disease. These treatments can include surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, and other aggressive interventions. While these measures can be effective, they may also come with significant side effects and a reduced quality of life.

Palliative care focuses on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. It is appropriate at any stage of a serious illness and can be provided alongside curative treatments. The goal of palliative care is to improve the quality of life for both the patient and their family by addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

Hospice care is a type of palliative care specifically for patients who are nearing the end of life, typically with a prognosis of six months or less if the disease follows its natural course. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life, rather than attempting to cure the illness. It often involves a team of healthcare professionals who provide medical, emotional, and spiritual support to the patient and their family.

When to Consider Palliative or Hospice Care

Frequent Hospitalizations: If a patient is experiencing frequent hospitalizations or emergency room visits without significant improvement, it may be time to consider palliative or hospice care.

Declining Health: When a patient's health is steadily declining despite aggressive treatments, and the treatments are causing more harm than benefit, transitioning to palliative or hospice care can provide better quality of life.

Symptom Management: If managing symptoms such as pain, breathlessness, or fatigue becomes the primary focus, palliative care can offer specialized support to alleviate these issues.

Patient and Family Wishes: Respecting the wishes of the patient and their family is crucial. If the patient expresses a desire to focus on comfort rather than curative treatments, it is important to honor their preferences.

Making the decision to transition from curative measures to palliative or hospice care is never easy, but understanding the options and recognizing the signs can help families provide the best possible care for their loved ones. By prioritizing comfort and quality of life, palliative and hospice care offer compassionate support during a challenging time.

If you need support in your caregiving journey reach out to the Duke Caregiver Support Program for free resources and support. Also, please watch our weekly caregiver educations segments every Monday on Eyewitness News 10-11am.

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When caregiving clouds gather: a guide to finding your sunshine., harmonizing care: a guide for family caregivers to communicate., finding solace after loss: the road to recovery for family caregivers.

Organization advocates for more palliative care beds in N.S.

South shore hospice palliative care society sent letters to municipalities to raise awareness.

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When Andrea Weagle and her family sat down to discuss her father's deteriorating health in March, they decided end-of-life care would be the most comforting option for him. 

She contacted Fishermen's Memorial Hospital in nearby Lunenburg, N.S., where the province had announced a palliative care unit with five beds in 2021 . 

But Weagle said her father, who lived in Bridgewater, could not be admitted due to a lack of staff in that hospice area.

Her dad, Ernest Bolivar, spent his last several days receiving end-of-life care in the emergency department of South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater before being transferred to a private room eight hours before his passing. While in the ER, Weagle and her sister had to stay the night with limited overnight facilities available. 

Marlene Wheatley, vice-chair of the South Shore Hospice Palliative Care Society, says cases like that of Weagle's father are why her organization is advocating for more end-of-life beds in the province.

Weagle, who is a nurse, said while staff in Bridgewater did a good job caring for her dad, having access to a palliative care room would have made her family's already difficult situation a little more comfortable.

'Important to advocate'

She said palliative care rooms are designed with the patient's family members in mind. They are private, usually larger and have amenities to accommodate overnight stays, such as a bathroom, fridge and more electrical outlets. 

"I do feel it's important to advocate for these things because people do deserve to have a respectful and dignified end-of-life experience," Weagle said. "And I think the more we can do to make it a positive experience for people, I think is very important."

According to a report by the Canadian Cancer Society, Nova Scotia has the fewest palliative care beds in the Maritime provinces based on population. It has only 2.99 beds per 100,000 people while P.E.I. has 6.01 and New Brunswick has 4.27.

Comforting option in last days

Wheatley believes palliative care rooms give people the choice to spend their last days in an environment where they can be comforted, whether that is by playing soft music in the room, receiving visits from family and friends, or being held by a loved one . 

But she said that when palliative patients end up in an emergency room, they are not in the best environment. 

"The staff, of course, always do the best that they can do … but they are restricted by space, by availability of beds and then by the availability of the type of bed," she said. 

Wheatley's organization has contacted four area MLAs, the towns of Lunenburg and Bridgewater, and Premier Tim Houston to raise awareness about the issue.

As a daughter who had to go through the process, Weagle said the option of end-of-life care in a palliative care room might help people with the grieving process. 

"It often helps people move forward if they have a positive experience saying goodbye. It's all about showing love," she said.

5 beds in Fishermen's Memorial Hospital 

When asked about the five beds in Fishermen's Memorial Hospital, a Nova Scotia Health spokesperson wrote in an email that they are "committed to overcoming the challenges related to resources and staffing to ensure these specialized rooms can begin serving patients as intended."

Upon further inquiry, Nova Scotia Health did not confirm if the five rooms are currently operational, but wrote that there are palliative consult teams available to ensure "each patient receives comprehensive care tailored to their specific needs."

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Giuliana is a journalist originally from Lima, Peru. She arrived in Canada in 2022 to study journalism at St. Thomas University and was selected as one of the Donaldson Scholars in 2024. If you have any story tips, you can reach her at [email protected].

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#catherine prowse #health #short film #stop motion #video, catherine prowse invokes joy, comfort, and community in a new animation for palliative care queensland, august 27, 2024, kate mothes.

Palliative Care Queensland is a charity centered on the belief that the way we care for our dying is a powerful indicator of society’s values. The hospice organization recently commissioned a poignant and empowering short film titled “ The Cassette ” by animator Catherine Prowse focused on living the end of your life on your own terms.

Through the eyes of a gentle, felted character who sits in a hospital room and gets acquainted with the personification of death, Prowse portrays the significance of connecting people at the end of their lives with family and activities that bring them joy. Text flashes across the screen reading “Make death suck less,” encouraging us to remember how being prepared makes things easier for everyone during an inherently difficult time.

See more of Prowse’s work on her website and Vimeo .

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