End-of-Life Care Preferences of Older Adults and Family Members who Care for Them

Abstract

Using data from a series of in-depth semi-structured telephone interviews with family caregivers (N = 110), this study explored preferences for end-of-life care and the types of plans made. Caregivers provided rich descriptions of care receivers' perceived preferences for care at six weeks (post-patient discharge due to hip fracture or stroke), as well as their own preferences at one year and at five years. Three general themes characterizing care receivers' preferences for care emerged from the narrative responses: preferred setting for care, expectations for family care, and life-sustaining treatment preferences. A fourth theme, impact of the caregiving experience, also emerged from the caregivers' responses in terms of their own preferences for care. The findings are discussed in terms of the recently proposed national agenda for social work research in palliative and end-of-life care.