Palliative care

Background: When discussing treatment options and future care, it is important to understand the expectations of patients and family caregivers related to palliative chemotherapy and to identify patterns in patients’ quality of life. The study aims were to evaluate differences in treatment expectations and quality of life between patients with thoracic cancer (non-small-cell lung cancer, small-cell lung cancer and mesothelioma) who were < 70 and ≥ 70 years of age and receiving palliative chemotherapy and to assess family caregivers’ treatment expectations.

Surrogate decision makers (SDMs) are challenged by difficult decisions at the end of life. This becomes more complex in young adult patients when parents are frequently the SDMs. This age group (18 to 39 years old) commonly lacks advanced directives to provide guidance which results in increased moral distress during end of life decisions. Multiple factors help guide medical decision making throughout a patient's disease course and at the end of life. These include personal patient factors and SDM factors.

Background: Cancer is increasing in its prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa. Informal caregivers are key to supporting engagement and interaction with palliative care services, but limited literature on their role impedes development of supportive interventions. Aim: We aimed to understand the role, impact, and support of informal caregivers of patients with advanced cancer when interacting with palliative care services in Nigeria, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Design: Secondary analysis of qualitative interview transcripts.

Background: Most cancer patients' families suffer from maladaptation which increases family distress and caregiving burden. This study was conducted to explore the relationship between these maladaptation indicators, and the sense of coherence (SOC) of family caregivers alongside other family resilience determines among family caregivers of cancer patients. Methods: A total of 104 family caregivers of cancer patients were included in this cross-sectional study.

Background: Oral symptoms in a growing number of palliative care patients are often neglected. Dental professionals are not always involved in palliative care. Oral care is often inadequately delivered to palliative care patients, while oral problems can affect the quality of life. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted to explore oral care experiences of palliative care patients, their relatives, and health care professionals (HCPs). Four patients, 4 relatives, and 4 HCPs were interviewed in a hospice.

Objective: Parents of seriously ill children worry about their vulnerable child contracting COVID-19, whether their child's palliative care providers will be able to continue to provide the same quality of care to their child, and who can be with the child to provide comfort. For providers, shifts in healthcare provision, communication formats, and support offerings for families facing distress or loss during the pandemic may promote providers’ moral distress.

Background: Family caregiving is common globally, but when a family member needs palliative and end-of-life care, this requires knowledge and expertise in dealing with symptoms, medication, and treatment side effects. Caring for a family member with advanced prostate cancer in the home presents practical and emotional challenges, especially in resource-poor contexts, where there are increasing palliative cases without adequate palliative care institutions.

Background: Patients in palliative care are usually conceptualised as recipients of support from family caregivers. Family caregivers in palliative care are typically defined as providers of support to patients. Little is known about reciprocal dimensions of support provision between patients and family caregivers in palliative care. Aim: To identify processes of mutual support between patients and family caregivers in palliative care and factors that contribute to or obstruct mutual support between patients and family caregivers in palliative care.

Background: Many families coping with serious illness report experiencing financial burden, which negatively impacts coping and quality of life. Financial burden, however, is a complex construct that has been inconsistently operationalized in the literature. Aim: To review the available literature to identify, and describe the properties of, measurement tools or scales used to assess financial burden, including financial stress and strain, for families dealing with serious illness. Design: A systematic review.

Objectives: The aim of this longitudinal study was to evaluate the long-term effects of providing a therapeutic conversation intervention, based on Family Systems Nursing, to family caregivers of a close relative with advanced cancer over the period before and during bereavement. Background: To prevent adverse outcomes, caregivers need ongoing support that begins pre-loss and extends into the post-loss period. Methods: This study employed a one-group pre-test, post-test quasi-experimental design.