Department of Health Sciences and the Vårdal Institute, Lund, Sweden.
Palliat Support Care. 2010 Mar;8(1):17-26. doi: 10.1017/S1478951509990666. Epub 2010 Feb 18.
The aim of the study was to investigate the experience of being next of kin to an older person in the last phase of life as narrated after the older person's death.
Qualitative interviews were performed with the next of kin (n = 17) to people aged 75 years and older who had recently died and had received help and/or care from the municipality in the last phase of life. Eleven women and six men participated, of whom seven were spouses, nine were children, and one was a grandchild. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis.
The experience of the next of kin could be understood as being a devoted companion during the transition toward the inevitable end, embracing the categories of living in the shadow of death; focusing on the needs of the dying person, making adjustments to everyday life; feeling the major responsibility; struggling with the health and social care system; and gaining strength from support.
Being next of kin to an old person at the end of life means being a devoted companion during the transition toward the inevitable end, including the feeling of bearing the major responsibility and the need to be acknowledged by professionals. This study points to the importance of having access to professional care when it is needed, to complement and support the next of kin when his or her own resources and strength falter. This also includes support to enable the next of kin to remain involved in the care of his or her loved ones, thereby fulfilling their own wishes.
本研究旨在调查老年人生命末期亲属的经历，这些经历是在老年人去世后叙述的。
对最近去世的、在生命末期接受过市提供的帮助和/或护理的 75 岁及以上老年人的亲属（n=17）进行了定性访谈。11 名女性和 6 名男性参加了访谈，其中 7 人为配偶，9 人为子女，1 人为孙辈。使用定性内容分析法对访谈进行了分析。
亲属的经历可以理解为在向不可避免的结局过渡时，作为一个忠诚的伴侣，包括生活在死亡阴影下的类别；关注临终者的需求，调整日常生活；感到主要责任；与卫生和社会保健系统作斗争；并从支持中获得力量。
作为生命末期老年人的亲属，意味着在向不可避免的结局过渡时作为一个忠诚的伴侣，包括承担主要责任的感觉和被专业人员认可的需要。本研究指出，当需要时获得专业护理的重要性，以补充和支持亲属，当他或她自己的资源和力量减弱时。这还包括支持亲属继续参与照顾亲人，从而实现他们自己的愿望。
