Caregivers' satisfaction with hospice care in the last 24 hours of life.

The goals of this study were to identify elements of care that contributed to positive and negative perceptions of hospice care in the last 24 hours of life, and to define patient and family characteristics that are associated with satisfaction with care during this difficult period. Surveys were sent to 207 primary caregivers, and 112 surveys were returned. This study reports four findings that elucidate the factors that make family members more or less satisfied with the care that their loved one received during the last day of life, and how satisfaction with this period of care should be measured.