Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-m8qmq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T00:50:11.124Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Meeting needs of family members of persons with life-threatening illness: A support group program during ongoing palliative care

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 August 2011

Anette Henriksson ,
Eva Benzein ,
Britt-Marie Ternestedt  and
Birgitta Andershed
Anette Henriksson*
Affiliation:
Department of Nursing, Gjøvik University College, Norway
Eva Benzein
Affiliation:
School of Health and Caring Sciences, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden Department of Palliative Care Research, Ersta Sköndal University College, Stockholm, Sweden
Britt-Marie Ternestedt
Affiliation:
Department of Palliative Care Research, Ersta Sköndal University College, Stockholm, Sweden Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Nursing, Karolinska institute, Stockholm, Sweden Research and Development Unit, Stockholms Sjukhem Foundation, Stockholm, Sweden
Birgitta Andershed
Affiliation:
Department of Nursing, Gjøvik University College, Norway Department of Palliative Care Research, Ersta Sköndal University College, Stockholm, Sweden
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Anette Henriksson, School of Health and Medical Sciences, Örebro University, 70182 Örebro, Sweden. E-mail: anette.he@telia.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective:

The aim of the study was to describe family members' experiences of content, structure, and approach of a potential intervention including a support group program for family members of persons with life-threatening illness.

Method:

The study was a pilot project in a developmental phase in which a potential intervention, a support group program, was investigated. The design of the study was qualitative descriptive. Twenty-nine family members were interviewed by telephone after taking part in the program. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Results:

The results indicate that the support group program could work as an acceptable and useful intervention for family members. The program was experienced to cover topics of immediate interest reflecting life close to severely ill persons. The structure of the program was found to be inviting, offering an opportunity to establish relationships with other participants and the caring team in a warm atmosphere.

Significance of results:

The study indicates the importance of health professionals inviting and interacting with family members during ongoing palliative care. The results could inspire nursing staff to initiate, develop, and deliver similar interventions.

Keywords

FamilyInterventionLife-threatening illnessPalliative careSupport group
Type
Original Articles
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 9 , Issue 3 , September 2011 , pp. 263 - 271
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Andershed, B. (2006). Relatives in end of life care-Part1: A systematic review of the literature the five last years, January 1999 – February 2004. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 15, 382–390.Google Scholar
Aoun, S., Kristjanson, L., Currow, D., et al. (2005). Caregiving for the terminally ill: At what cost? Palliative Medicine, 19, 551–555.Google Scholar
Bloom, J. (2000). The role of family support in cancer control. In Cancer and the Family, Baider, L., Cooper, C. & De-Nour, A. (eds), pp. 55–67. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Demiris, G., Parker–Oliver, D., Courtney, K.L., et al. (2007). Telehospice tools for caregivers: A pilot study. Clinical Gerontologist, 31, 43–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Denscombe, M. (1998). The Good Research Guide for Small-Scale Social Research Projects. Buckingham: Open University Press.Google Scholar
Eggenberger, S.K. & Nelms, T.P. (2007). Being family: The family experience when an adult member is hospitalized with critical illness. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 16, 1618–1628.Google Scholar
Ell, K., Nishitimo, R., Mantell, J., et al. (1988). Longitudinal analysis of psychological adaption among familymembers of patients with cancer. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 32, 429–438.Google Scholar
Grande, G., Stadjuhar, K., Aun, S., et al. (2009). Supporting lay carers in end of life care: gaps and future priorities. Palliative Medicine, 23, 339–344.Google Scholar
Graneheim, U.H. & Lundman, B. (2004). Qualitative content analysis in nursing research: concepts, procedures and measures to achieve trustworthiness. Nurse Education Today, 24, 105–112.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harding, R. & Higginson, I. (2001). Working with ambivalence: Informal caregivers of patients at the end of life. Supportive Care in Cancer, 9, 642–645.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harding, R. & Higginson, I.J. (2003). What is the best way to help caregivers in cancer and palliative care? A systematic review of interventions and their effectiveness. Palliative Medicine, 17, 63–74.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harding, R., Leam, C., Pearce, A., et al. (2002). A multi-professional short-term group intervention for informal caregivers of patients using a home palliative care service. Journal of Palliative Care, 18, 275–281.Google Scholar
Harding, R., Higginson, I.J., Leam, C., Donaldson, N., Pearce, A., George, R., Robinson, V., Taylor, L. (2004). Evalution of a short-term group intervention for informal carers of patients attending a home palliative care service. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 27, 396–408.Google Scholar
Henriksson, A. & Andershed, B. (2007). A support group programme for relatives during the late palliative phase. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 13, 175–183.Google Scholar
Herbert, R.S. & Schultz, R. (2006). Caregiving at the end of life. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 9, 1174–1187.Google Scholar
Hudson, P. (2004). A critical review of supportive interventions for family caregivers of patients with palliative–stage cancer. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 22, 77–92.Google Scholar
Hudson, P.L., Aranda, S. & Hayman–White, K. (2005). A psycho-educational intervention for family caregivers of patients receiving palliative care: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 30, 329–341.Google Scholar
Hudson, P.L., Aranda, S. & Kristjanson, L.J. (2004). Meeting the supportive needs of family caregivers in palliative care: Challenges for health professionals. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 7, 19–25.Google Scholar
Hudson, P., Quinn, K., Kristjanson, L., et al. (2008). Evaluation of a psycho-educational group programme for caregivers in home-based palliative care. Palliative Medicine, 22, 270–280.Google Scholar
Kristjanson, L., Hudson, P. & Oldham, L. (2003). Working with families in palliative care. In Palliative Care Nursing: A Guide to Practice. ÒConnor, M. & Aranda, S. (eds). Melbourne: AUSMED Publications.Google Scholar
Lincoln, Y.S. & Guba, E.G. (1985). Naturalistic Inquiry. New Delhi: Sage Publications Inc.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lindström, K. & Mazurek–Melnyk, B. (2009). Interventions for family caregivers of loved ones on hospice. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, 11, 167–176.Google Scholar
Low, J., Perry, R. & Wilkinson, S. (2005). A qualitative evaluation of the impact of palliative care day services: The experiences of patients, informal carers, day unit managers and volunteer staff. Palliative Medicine, 19, 65–70.Google Scholar
Lorenz, K.A., Lynn, J., Dy, S.M., et al. (2008). Evidence for improving palliative care at the end of life: A systematic review. Annals of Internal Medicine, 148, 147–159.Google Scholar
MacDonald, G. (1998). Massage as a respite intervention for primary caregivers. The American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care, 15, 43–47.Google Scholar
McMillan, S.C. (2005). Interventions to facilitate family caregiving at the end of life. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 8, 132–139.Google Scholar
McMillan, S.C., Small, B.J., Weitzner, M., et al. (2005). Impact of coping skills intervention with family caregivers of hospice patients with cancer. Bulletin of the American Cancer Society, 106, 214–222.Google Scholar
Milberg, A., Rydstrand, K., Helander, L., et al. (2005). Participants experiences of a support group intervention for family members during ongoing palliative home care. Journal of Palliative Care, 21, 277–284.Google Scholar
Pasacreta, J.V., Barg, F., Nuamah, I., McCorkle, R.Participant characteristics before and 4 months after attendance at a family caregiver cancer education program. Cancer Nursing, 23, 295–303.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Poppelstone-Helm, S.V. & Helm, D. (2009). Setting up a support group for children and their well carers who have a significant adult with a life-threatening illness. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 15, 214–221.Google Scholar
Polit, D.F. & Beck, C.T. (2004). Nursing Research: Principles and Methods, 7th ed.Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.Google Scholar
Plant, H., Richardson, J., Stubbs, L., et al. (1987). Evaluation of a support group for cancer patients and their families and friends. British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 38, 317–322.Google ScholarPubMed
Cronfalk, B., Strang, P., Ternestedt, B-M. (2009). Inner power, physical strength and existential well-being in daily life: relatives' experiences of receiving soft tissue massage in palliative home care. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 18, 2225–2233.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stake, R.E. (1994). Case studies. In Handbook of Qualitative Research. Denzin, N.K. & Lincoln, Y.S. (eds). pp. 236–247. Thousand Oaks: Sage.Google Scholar
Stajduhar, K.I. & Davies, B. (2005). Variations in and factors influencing family members' decisions for palliative home care. Palliative Medicine, 19, 21–32.Google Scholar
Walsh, K., Jones, L., Tookman, A., et al. (2007). Reducing emotional distress in people caring for patients receiving specialist palliative care. British Journal of Psychiatry, 190, 142–147.Google Scholar
Wennman-Larsen, A. & Tishelman, C. (2002). Advanced home care for cancer patients at the end of life: a qualitative study of hopes and expectations of family caregivers. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 16, 240–247.Google Scholar
Witkowski, Å. & Carlsson, M. (2004). Support group programme for relatives of terminally ill patients. Supportive Care in Cancer, 12, 168–175.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
World Health Organisation. (2002) National cancer control programmes: policies and managerial guidelines, 2nd ed. Geneva.Google Scholar