Quality of death among hospice decedents: Proxy observations from a survey of community-dwelling adults in the contiguous United States.
This study examines hospice service experience and quality of death. A survey of 123 community-dwelling adults in the United States found that physical comfort, pain-free, and spiritual peace were more important to respondents reporting a personal experience with hospice. A "good death" was associated with older patients who died at home, and respondent satisfaction with hospice service. A "good death" was mapped as 29 nodes and 79 links using semantic network analysis. Three subjects (patient, family, hospice), three timeframes (end-of-life, moment of dying, death), and four central causes (home, peaceful, pain-free, and expected) were identified.
a School of Social Work , University of Maryland-Baltimore , Baltimore , Maryland , USA.
Seokho
S
Hong
a School of Social Work , University of Maryland-Baltimore , Baltimore , Maryland , USA.
John G
JG
Cagle
b Department of Gerontology , Youngstown State University , Youngstown , Ohio , USA.
Amy J
AJ
Plant
c College of Health Solutions, Doctor of Behavioral Health Program , Arizona State University , Phoenix , Arizona , USA.
Krystal L
KL
Culler
d School of Social Work , University of South Florida , Tampa , Florida , USA.
Iraida V
IV
Carrion
b Department of Gerontology , Youngstown State University , Youngstown , Ohio , USA.
Daniel J
DJ
Van Dussen
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003643:Death; D005260:Female; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000592:standards; D006738:Hospices / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States