Restorative activities among bereaved caregivers of nursing home patients.
Sarah T Stahl, Richard Schulz
PMID 29477647WHAT IT FOUND
Bereaved caregivers who felt more prepared for their loved one's death reported doing more pleasurable activities afterward.
Activity level did not clearly lower complicated grief after other factors were considered.
Key findings
01Among 89 bereaved caregivers, feeling more prepared for the death was the only significant predictor of post-death restorative activities.
02Caregiver engagement in restorative activities did not change significantly from before to after the care recipient's death.
03In adjusted analyses, restorative activities did not significantly predict complicated grief, while preparedness and depression did.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study included only caregivers of people placed in long-term care, so it may not apply to families bereaved at home. Preparedness was measured with one question, not a full assessment of emotional, practical, and informational readiness. The restorative activities list may have missed activities that mattered to these caregivers. Post-death data were collected about 3 months after death, which is early and may not capture longer-term grief. The sample was small, and the authors say it was not suited to subgroup comparisons.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The article is listed as supported by NIH extramural research funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that increasing pleasurable activities will reduce complicated grief. This study did not test that. Restorative activities did not significantly predict grief in adjusted models, and grief was linked to preparedness and depression.