End-of-life care in community hospitals: the perceptions of bereaved family members.
OBJECTIVE
The perceptions of bereaved family members were obtained to evaluate the nature and quality of end-of-life care in community hospitals.


METHODS
During organizational case studies in six community hospitals in the South East and South West of England, bereaved family members were asked to participate in semi-structured interviews.


METHODS
Fifty-one interviews were conducted with family members of patients who had received end-of-life care in a community hospital within the previous year.


RESULTS
Respondents were very positive about the care they and the patient had received. They valued the convenience of access for frequent and long-stay visiting and the familiarity of the local hospital. Comparisons were made with more negative experiences at their nearest District General Hospital. Issues raised included the noise at the community hospitals, and the lack of contact with qualified nurses.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study have implications for UK government initiatives, such as the National Framework for Older People, and the Department of Health's 'Keeping the NHS Local'.
Hawker
Sheila
S
Wessex Institute for Health Research and Development, University of Southampton, Boldrewood-Mail-point 728, Bassett Crescent East, Southampton SO16 7PX, UK. seh3@soton.ac.uk
Kerr
Chris
C
Payne
Sheila
S
Seamark
David
D
Davis
Carol
C
Roberts
Helen
H
Jarrett
Nicola
N
Roderick
Paul
P
Smith
Helen
H
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001601:Bereavement; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D004739:England; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000523:psychology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010166:Palliative Care; D010465:Perception; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000592:standards*; D019452:Terminally Ill