Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T07:39:09.019Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

“They don't just disappear”: Acknowledging death in the long-term care setting

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2012

Janine Maitland ,
Kevin Brazil  and
Bill James-Abra
Janine Maitland*
Affiliation:
St. Joseph's Health System Research Network, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada St. Joseph's Health Centre, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Kevin Brazil
Affiliation:
St. Joseph's Health System Research Network, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Division of Palliative Care, Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Bill James-Abra
Affiliation:
St. Joseph's Health Centre, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Janine Maitland, St. Joseph's Health System Research Network, St. Joseph's Health Centre: 100 Westmount Road, Guelph, ON, N1H 5H8, Canada. E-mail: janine.maitland@sjhcg.ca
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to describe the value of a formal room blessing ritual held within a long-term care facility, from the perspectives of staff, residents, and family members.

Method:

A qualitative research study involving interviews with staff, residents, and family members was conducted to examine the perceived value of a room blessing ritual.

Results:

Twenty-four room blessing attendees participated in the study (nine staff, eight residents, and seven family members). Attendees felt that the room blessing provided an opportunity to formally acknowledge the death of the resident and their grief; the majority felt that this was a positive experience and that it provided an element of closure. Staff members and residents expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to connect with family members of the deceased to express their condolences during the ritual. Participants also identified the inclusivity of the ritual (i.e., an open invitation to all staff, residents, and family members) as a positive aspect that served as a reminder that others shared in their grief. Staff members felt that blessing the room for the new resident was an important component of the ritual, helping to bridge the gap between mourning and welcoming a new person. Staff, residents, and family members felt that the room blessing positively reflected the mission and values of the facility. The most highly valued aspect of the ritual for all attendees was the sharing of stories about the deceased to celebrate that person's life.

Significance of results:

Long-term care facilities need to recognize that formal supports to manage the bereavement needs of staff and residents, such as a room blessing ritual, should be incorporated into their model for managing end-of-life care, given the relationship between the emotional health of staff and the quality of care provided for residents.

Keywords

Long-term careAcknowledging deathStaff bereavementRitual
Type
Original Articles
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 10 , Issue 4 , December 2012 , pp. 241 - 247
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Anderson, K.A. (2008). Grief experiences of CNAs: Relationships with burnout and turnover. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 34, 42–49.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Anderson, K.A. & Gaugler, J E. (2007). The grief experience of certified nursing assistants: Personal growth and complicated grief. Omega Journal of Death and Dying, 54, 301–318.Google Scholar
Brazil, K., McAiney, C., O'Brien-Caron, M., et al. (2004). Quality end-of-life in long term care facilities: Service providers perspective. Journal of Palliative Care, 20, 85–92.Google Scholar
Burack, O.R. & Chichin, E.R. (2001). A support group for nursing assistants: Caring for nursing home residents at the end of life. Geriatric Nursing, 22, 299–305.Google Scholar
Doka, K.J. (1989). Disenfranchised Grief: Recognizing Hidden Sorrow. New York: McMillan.Google Scholar
Forbes, S. (2001). This is heaven's waiting room: End-of-life in one nursing home. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 27, 37–45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goodridge, D., Bond, J.B., Cameron, C., et al. (2005). End-of-life in a nursing home: A study of family, nurse, and healthcare aide perspectives. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 11, 226–232.Google Scholar
Hanson, L.C. & Henderson, M. (2000). Care of the dying in long-term care settings. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, 16, 225–237.Google Scholar
Kollar, N.R. (1989). Rituals and the disenfranchised griever. In Disenfranchised Grief: Recognizing Hidden Sorrow, Doka, K.J. (ed.), pp. 271–286. Massachusetts: Lexington Books.Google Scholar
Moss, M.S., Moss, S.Z., Rubinstein, R.L., et al. (2003). The metaphor of “family” in staff communication about dying and death. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 58B, S290–S296.Google Scholar
Murphy, K., Hanrahan, P. & Luchins, D. (1997). A survey of grief and bereavement in nursing homes: the importance of hospice grief and bereavement for the end-stage Alzheimer's disease patient and family. Journal of American Geriatrics Society, 45, 1104–1107.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rickerson, E.M., Somers, C., Allen, C.M., et al. (2005). How well are we caring for the caregivers? Prevalence of grief-related symptoms and need for bereavement support among long-term care staff. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 30, 227–233.Google Scholar
Sikma, S.K. (2006). Staff perceptions of caring: The importance of a supportive environment. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 32, 22–29.Google ScholarPubMed
Sumaya-Smith, I. (1995). Caregiver/resident relationships: Surrogate family bonds and surrogate grieving in a skilled nursing facility. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 21, 447–451.Google Scholar
Touhy, T.A., Brown, C. & Smith, C.J. (2005). Spiritual caring: End of life in a nursing home. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 31, 27–34.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tupper, N. (1996). Responses of paraprofessional nursing staff to death on long-term care. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp04/mq24993.pdf.Google Scholar
Van-Hein Wallace, A. (2009). Supported nurses give better care: Nurses often feel a sense of bereavement when patients die. Nursing Standard, 24, 54–55.Google Scholar