Living and dying with heart failure in long-term care: experiences of residents and their family members.

Kaasalainen, Sharon; Strachan, Patricia H.; Heckman, George A.; D'Elia, Teresa; McKelvie, Robert S.; McAiney, Carrie; Stolee, Paul; Lou van der Horst, Mary; Lou Kelley, Mary; Demers, Catherine

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of long-term care (LTC) residents living and dying with heart failure (HF) and their family members. An exploratory descriptive design was used to collect data from seven LTC residents and seven family members. The data was analysed using thematic content analysis. The main themes that emerged from the data were: limited understanding of the HF diagnosis, living with restrictions and other comorbidities, making decisions about transitioning to end-of-life care, and learning and negotiating the lines of communication. Residents and family members communicated with many health-care providers about managing the HF symptoms but most often worked through the nurse when problems arose or decisions about care needed to be made. The findings from this study contribute to our understanding of residents' and family members' experiences in managing residents' HF in LTC.

ONTARIO; HEART failure treatment; PSYCHOLOGICAL adaptation; ELDER care; AGING; CHRONIC diseases; COGNITION; COMMUNICATION; CONTENT analysis; DECISION making; PSYCHOLOGICAL distress; EXERCISE therapy; FAMILIES; GERIATRIC nursing; HEART failure; LENGTH of stay in hospitals; INTERVIEWING; LIFE skills; LONG-term health care; RESEARCH methodology; MEDICAL personnel; PATIENT-professional relations; MEDICAL protocols; NURSING home residents; NURSING care facilities; PALLIATIVE treatment; PATIENT advocacy; RESEARCH; RESEARCH evaluation; RESEARCH funding; COMORBIDITY; QUALITATIVE research; JUDGMENT sampling; THEMATIC analysis; DISEASE exacerbation; PATIENTS' families; POLYPHARMACY; DATA analysis software; PATIENTS' attitudes; FAMILY attitudes; SYMPTOMS; OLD age

International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 2013, Vol 19, Issue 8, p375

1357-6321

Academic Journal

10.12968/ijpn.2013.19.8.375