Family members’ experiences of end-of-life care in a high care unit of a public hospital

Abstract

Introduction

The death of loved ones in hospital settings can be very painful for family members, especially if they are unfamiliar with the hospital environment. End-of-life care to support family members in high care units is vital for long-term grieving outcomes. The experiences of families regarding end-of-life care are seldom described in South African public hospitals.

Aim

To explore family members’ experiences of end-of-life care in a specific high care unit in a public hospital.

Design and methods

This was a qualitative descriptive study. We purposively selected family members or significant others of patients managed in the high care unit, where approximately 70 patients are managed each month. We scheduled interviews with 10 family members whose loved ones received end-of-life care in the high care unit, and of these, two withdrew from the study. We interviewed eight family members. Data were analysed using the collaborative hermeneutic data analysis method.

Results

Six main themes emerged from the data namely, 1) psychological support, 2) cultural sensitivity, 3) spirituality, 4) coping mechanisms, 5) emotional experiences and 6) psychological healing.

Conclusion

Through the collaborative hermeneutic data analysis approach, healthcare professionals gained a better understanding of the experiences of family members who lost their loved ones in the high care unit. Healthcare professionals were able to identify strategies to improve experiences of families who lost loved ones.