title: Survey of staff and family members of patients in Bulgarian hospices on the concept of "good death".
abstract: The concept of a "good death" has been intensely discussed over the past decades. The objective of this study is to investigate this concept among staff and patients' relatives in 29 Bulgarian hospices and 5 palliative care units. Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 190 members of staff and 216 patients' relatives. Death without pain and suffering and death in one's sleep were leading concepts in both the groups. Staff preferred death in the presence of relatives, while relatives preferred fast and sudden death. Although we were able to define the common concept of a good death as painless and sudden death in one's sleep, death is unique phenomenon and good palliative care should be based on communication with patients about their idea of a good death.
authors: Department of Medical Ethics, Management of Health Care and Information Technologies, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Pleven, 1 Kliment Ochridski Street, 5800 Pleven, Bulgaria. silviya_aleksandrova@hotmail.com
authors: Silviya
authors: S
authors: Aleksandrova-Yankulovska
authors: Henk
authors: H
authors: ten Have
mesh_terms: D001293:Attitude to Death; D002031:Bulgaria; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires