ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Although the Taiwan government has subsidized the provision of palliative care at home since 2000, the utilization rate of this service has been low. PURPOSE: The purpose of this research is to explore the experiences of palliative care at home as perceived by family caregivers. METHODS: This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to collect the data. Six family caregivers who had been providing home-based palliative care services for at least 2 weeks were invited to participate. RESULTS: Four themes related to the care experiences of the participants emerged: (1) Choosing palliative care at home for the end-of-life journey: Considering the wishes of patients and the capacities of caregivers, with hospitals providing powerful support to caregivers; (2) Facing the burdens of providing palliative care in a home setting: Determining the caring skills while feeling fear and stress, and needing to resolve this stress and achieve a respite; (3) Pursuing stable home palliative care: Relying on consultations with the professional palliative care team for information, support, and insights regarding the value of home palliative care; and (4) Fulfilling the promise of a good death at home: Preparing the patient to say goodbye and to experience a peaceful death and family members to express their sadness and adapt to a new life. CONCLUSIONS / IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Home palliative care services help provide patients and their families convenience, intimate care, and reassurance at home. However, all caregivers must be properly trained in caring skills and the skills necessary to sustain their long-term care responsibilities. Home palliative care services have been described as the internal and external needs that patients and families require to maintain a stable quality of life and as the comfort required by the bereaved family members. The findings of this study demonstrate the value of home palliative care and of promoting home palliative care at the end of life.
