The Perceptions of Palliative Care Among Family Caregivers of Non-Cancer Patients

Family caregivers play an important role in providing palliative care for patients with chronic life-threatening illnesses. Understanding the experience of family caregivers regarding palliative care can identify areas in which to improve the quality of care at the end of life. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of palliative care among family caregivers of non-cancer patients. This research was conducted using a qualitative descriptive design with content analysis. A total of 10 family caregivers with a mean age of 53.6 years were recruited from a home healthcare organization of a medical center in central Taiwan. Data were collected from the family caregivers using semi-structured interviews from April 2008 to December 2008. The findings revealed 6 main themes: unfamiliar labels for a layperson, palliative care is linked to cancer, palliative care is to give up, palliative care is waiting to die, the decision to provide palliative care is made by healthcare professionals, and palliative care is to let it be. Family caregivers provide long-term home care for chronically ill patients. When they were unable to find a good solution for care, they relied on the ＂let it be＂ philosophy of Taoism. Our findings suggested that healthcare providers should recognize that dealing with palliative care in the home is a continuing care process, and that they can be the best advocates and instructors for patients and family caregivers to enhance the quality of long-term palliative care.