Quality Hospice Care in Adult Family Homes: Barriers and Facilitators.
Karla T Washington, George Demiris, Debra Parker Oliver and 2 others
PMID 28974462WHAT IT FOUND
Families described quality hospice care in adult family homes as personalized comfort, residents enjoying visits with staff and volunteers, peace of mind from hospice oversight, less practical burden, care that matched values, and communication that respected preferences.
Key findings
01Families described comfort when adult family home and hospice staff personalized pain and symptom management.
02Families said hospice was a backup for challenging situations and wanted their communication preferences asked about and honored.
03Families described hospice as decreasing practical burden through coordination of medication, equipment, and supplies.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The data came only from family members, not residents, adult family home staff, or hospice providers. Some family members compared the adult family home with nursing homes without direct experience of the other setting. The sample was overwhelmingly homogeneous in race, so findings may not represent racial and ethnic minorities. Because this was a secondary analysis of existing interviews, participants could not check whether the themes matched their own meaning. The study reports themes and perceptions, not measured clinical outcomes or tested effects of hospice care.
Declared interests
The original trial was supported by NIH funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as evidence that hospice improves comfort, peace of mind, or family burden. The study reports family members' perceptions from interviews and includes no resident, staff, or measured outcomes.