Four aspects of self-image close to death at home

Living close to death means an inevitable confrontation with one's own existential limitation. In this article, we argue that everyday life close to death embodies an identity work in progress. We used a narrative approach and a holistic-content reading to analyze 12 interviews conducted with three persons close to death. By illuminating the unique stories and identifying patterns among the participants’ narratives, we found four themes exemplifying important aspects of the identity work related to everyday life close to death. Two of the themes, named “Inside and outside of me” and “Searching for togetherness,” represented the core of the self-image and were framed by the other themes, “My place in space” and “My death and my time.” Our findings elucidate the way the individual stories moved between the past, the present, and the future. This study challenges the idea that everyday life close to impending death primarily means limitations. The findings show that the search for meaning, new knowledge, and community can form a part of a conscious and ongoing identity work close to death

Dealing with daily emotions—supportive activities for the elderly in a municipal care setting

There are diverse descriptions of supportive activities in nursing to be found in the literature. What they have in common is their association with good care outcomes, but they may differ depending on the context in which the care is given. In a Swedish municipal elderly care setting, registered nurses (RN) work in a consultative way and they describe a part of their tasks as comprising supportive activities without specifying what kind of supportive activities they mean. The aim of the study was to explore the main concern of the support given by RN to a group of patients in an elderly home care setting. The study was conducted using Grounded Theory. Data were collected using nonparticipant observations regarding the supportive activities of 12 RN at the home of 36 patients between the ages of 80 and 102. Most of the home visit lasted about 40 min but some lasted for 90 min. The central category was about dealing with daily emotions. This was done by encouraging the situation and reducing the patient's limitations, but situations also occurred in which there was a gap of support. Support was about capturing the emotions that the patient expressed for a particular moment, but there were also situations in which RN chose not to give support. To develop a holistic eldercare, more knowledge is needed about the factors causing the RN to choose not to provide support on some occasions

Tetralogy of Fallot

Tetralogy of Fallot is a congenital cardiac malformation that consists of an interventricular communication, also known as a ventricular septal defect, obstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract, override of the ventricular septum by the aortic root, and right ventricular hypertrophy

Experiences of participation inbereavement groups from significant others’ perspectives : a qualitative study

Background: When death ends a life, the impact of caring for person who suffered a period of illness or diseasecontinues for significant others who are left to grieve. They should be offered support to avoid complicated grief.This can be provided in different ways and individually or in groups. This study aims to describe significant others’experiences of participation in bereavement groups.Methods: Ten bereavement groups that each met five times offered support for the significant others of deceasedloved ones who had been cared for by a palliative-care team. After the five meetings, the grieving members (n =46)completed written comments about the role of the groups; they also commented one year after participating (n =39).Comments were analyzed with qualitative content analysis with a directed approach using the theory of a good deathaccording to the 6S’s: self-image, self-determination, social relationships, symptom control, synthesis and summation,and surrender.Results: Bereavement groups were found to be a source for alleviating grief for some significant others, but not allexperienced relief. Moreover, grief was found to persist during participation. Another finding involved the impact ofthe role of the palliative home-care team on bereavement support. To evaluate the experience of participating in abereavement group, the use the 6S’s as a model was a strength of the analysis. Bereavement groups could enhancethe self and offer relief from grief. Participation was described as social relationships that offered a sense of coherenceand understanding in grief. The effects of participation were more meaningful close to the loss and could lose efficacyover time. Bereavement support provided before a loved one’s death was seen as valuable.Conclusion: Overall, the bereavement groups eased the grief of significant others close to the death of their lovedone. However, moving forward, several of the significant others were not sure that their participation eased their grief.To identify persons who may remain in a state of complicated grief, a routine of planned contacts with the bereavedshould begin before death and be followed up later than six months after the death of a loved one