title: The living-dying interval in nursing home-based end-of-life care: family caregivers' experiences.
abstract: Guided by concepts from the living-dying interval ( Pattison, 1977 ) this study sought to explore family members' experiences with a dying nursing home resident. In-depth interviews were conducted with 31 caregivers of residents who had died. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. Themes that illuminated families' experiences on the living-dying interval were: an acute medical crisis (trigger events, accumulation of stressors, level of care crisis); the living-dying phase (advance care planning, hospitalization, end-stage decisions); and the terminal phase (beginning of the end, awareness of dying). The results illustrate critical periods for social work intervention with families of dying nursing home residents.
authors: School of Social Work, University at Buffalo, New York, USA. dwaldrop@buffalo.edu
authors: Deborah P
authors: DP
authors: Waldrop
authors: Nancy
authors: N
authors: Kusmaul
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D016223:Advance Directives; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001293:Attitude to Death; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003210:Concept Formation; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012947:Social Work; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors