Dying at home for people experiencing financial hardship and deprivation: How health and social care professionals recognise and reflect on patients' circumstances.

Cross-sector deprivation dying at home end of life financial insecurity health palliative care poverty social care

Journal

Palliative care and social practice
ISSN: 2632-3524
Titre abrégé: Palliat Care Soc Pract
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 101754997

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
2023
Historique:
received: 14 09 2022
accepted: 27 02 2023
medline: 8 4 2023
entrez: 7 4 2023
pubmed: 8 4 2023
Statut: epublish

Résumé

International palliative care policy often views home as the most desirable location for end-of-life care. However, people living in more deprived areas can worry about dying in poor material circumstances and report more benefits from hospital admission at the end of life. There is increasing recognition of inequities in the experience of palliative care, particularly for people living in more deprived areas. Promoting an equity agenda in palliative care means building healthcare professionals' capacity to respond to the social determinants of health when working with patients near the end of their life. The purpose of this article is to present data which reveal how some health and social care professionals view home dying for people experiencing financial hardship and deprivation. This work was framed by social constructionist epistemology. Semi-structured qualitative interviews ( Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data. Our findings suggest that healthcare staff relied on physical clues in the home environment to identify if people were experiencing financial hardship, found discussions around poverty challenging and lacked awareness of how inequities intersect at the end of life. Health professionals undertook 'placing' work to try and make the home environment a suitable space for dying, but some barriers were seen as insurmountable. There was recognition that increased partnership working and education could improve patient experiences. We argue further research is needed to capture the perspectives of individuals with direct lived experience of end-of-life care and financial hardship.

Sections du résumé

Background UNASSIGNED
International palliative care policy often views home as the most desirable location for end-of-life care. However, people living in more deprived areas can worry about dying in poor material circumstances and report more benefits from hospital admission at the end of life. There is increasing recognition of inequities in the experience of palliative care, particularly for people living in more deprived areas. Promoting an equity agenda in palliative care means building healthcare professionals' capacity to respond to the social determinants of health when working with patients near the end of their life.
Objectives UNASSIGNED
The purpose of this article is to present data which reveal how some health and social care professionals view home dying for people experiencing financial hardship and deprivation.
Design UNASSIGNED
This work was framed by social constructionist epistemology.
Methods UNASSIGNED
Semi-structured qualitative interviews (
Analysis UNASSIGNED
Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data.
Discussion UNASSIGNED
Our findings suggest that healthcare staff relied on physical clues in the home environment to identify if people were experiencing financial hardship, found discussions around poverty challenging and lacked awareness of how inequities intersect at the end of life. Health professionals undertook 'placing' work to try and make the home environment a suitable space for dying, but some barriers were seen as insurmountable. There was recognition that increased partnership working and education could improve patient experiences. We argue further research is needed to capture the perspectives of individuals with direct lived experience of end-of-life care and financial hardship.

Identifiants

pubmed: 37025502
doi: 10.1177/26323524231164162
pii: 10.1177_26323524231164162
pmc: PMC10071150
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Pagination

26323524231164162

Informations de copyright

© The Author(s), 2023.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Références

Agric Econ. 2021 May;52(3):375-390
pubmed: 34230728
Curr Opin Support Palliat Care. 2012 Sep;6(3):391-7
pubmed: 22801467
Palliat Med. 2018 Jun;32(6):1078-1090
pubmed: 29457743
Palliat Med. 2021 Jan;35(1):169-178
pubmed: 33112209
Palliat Med. 2018 Jan;32(1):167-171
pubmed: 28952886
J Palliat Med. 2020 Jan;23(1):22-23
pubmed: 31724911
BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2019 Mar;9(1):84-91
pubmed: 26408428
Int J Equity Health. 2014 Dec 10;13:119
pubmed: 25492385
EClinicalMedicine. 2021 Apr 14;34:100833
pubmed: 33937727
BMC Palliat Care. 2016 Jul 25;15:64
pubmed: 27456495
Palliat Care Soc Pract. 2020 Oct 15;14:2632352420957997
pubmed: 33134926
Soc Sci Med. 2012 Oct;75(8):1426-32
pubmed: 22800918
Palliat Med. 2004 Jul;18(5):460-7
pubmed: 15332424
Palliat Med. 2015 Jun;29(6):518-28
pubmed: 25680378
Palliat Med. 2020 Jul;34(7):946-953
pubmed: 32340556
PLoS Med. 2019 Apr 23;16(4):e1002782
pubmed: 31013279
Soc Sci Med. 2021 Dec;291:113974
pubmed: 33994221
J Cross Cult Gerontol. 2020 Jun;35(2):177-193
pubmed: 32076928
Palliat Care Soc Pract. 2021 Sep 12;15:26323524211033873
pubmed: 34541536
Health Res Policy Syst. 2021 Jun 25;19(1):97
pubmed: 34172066
Res Gerontol Nurs. 2012 Jan;5(1):6-15
pubmed: 22224904
BMC Palliat Care. 2019 Jan 26;18(1):11
pubmed: 30684959
Palliat Med. 2021 May;35(5):810-813
pubmed: 33957826
Br J Gen Pract. 2009 Jul;59(564):503-9
pubmed: 19566998
Palliat Med. 2017 Dec;31(10):895-912
pubmed: 28106516

Auteurs

Sam Quinn (S)

End of Life Studies Group, School of Interdisciplinary Studies, Dumfries Campus, University of Glasgow, Dumfries DG1 4ZL, UK.

Naomi Richards (N)

End of Life Studies Group, School of Interdisciplinary Studies, Dumfries Campus, University of Glasgow, Dumfries, UK.

Merryn Gott (M)

Te Ārai Research Group - Palliative Care & End of Life, School of Nursing, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

Classifications MeSH