[Current status of cancer pain control in home hospice care--assessment by family members].
To improve the quality of life of terminally ill cancer patients, we care for them in the home whenever possible, making use of home parenteral nutrition (HPN) and continuous intravenous infusion of morphine. The purpose of this study was to assess the current status of and problems associated with our home hospice care program, with emphasis placed on the effectiveness of cancer pain control as viewed by the family of the patient. A questionnaire was sent to six families of patients who died at home. The members of each family were divided into two groups (spouse group or non-spouse group) and evaluated for their reaction to the patient's suffering. It was found that the two groups displayed a different reaction to the patient's suffering. The difference may have derived from the different mixture of objectivity and affection in each group. Therefore, we believe it is necessary to provide emotional support to each group based on this point of view. All respondents expressed a desire to receive home hospice care if they themselves were afflicted with end-stage cancer. This result showed that overall our home hospice care was successful. We intend to proceed with our program to provide patients and their families with more comfortable care, paying due regard to the difference in the reaction of family members to the patient's suffering depending on their relation to patient.
Okuyama
H
H
Terminal Care Study Group, Hiraka General Hospital.
Terashima
H
H
Matsumoto
S
S
Takahashi
Y
Y
Ando
R
R
Oku
U
U
Tan
K
K
Hirayama
K
K
D000368:Aged; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D017051:Hospice Care; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010147:Pain Measurement
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009020:Morphine