Memory making in end-of-life care in the adult intensive care unit: A scoping review of the research literature

Abstract

ObjectiveThe objective of this review is to describe the practice of memory making as part of end-of-life care within an adult intensive care setting and determine reported outcomes. MethodsA scoping review of the literature was performed. Data were collected from sources such as ProQuest, CINAHL, Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and PubMed using combinations of the keywords: including adult, critical care, intensive care, ICU, death, dying, grief, bereavement, end?of?life, memento*, memor*, keepsak*, and transitional object. Peer-reviewed studies reporting on the use of memory making within an adult intensive care setting and its outcomes for family members were included. ResultsFour activities facilitating memory making as part of end-of-life care for adults are reported in the literature, all in the intensive care setting. Use of a computer-generated word cloud image received by families in the intensive care was reported as a meaningful keepsake and sometimes displayed in places such as the patient's funeral memorial. Offering a printed copy of the patient's electrocardiogram as a memento was considered by some to be extremely or very helpful during their bereavement experience and was reported by nursing staff to be well received by family members. The use of patient diaries during bereavement has been reported with the potential to promote better understanding of the events leading to the death, and photography was also included in some patient diaries as a visual memento. ConclusionAlthough limited evidence is available concerning memory making in the adult intensive care environment, from studies to date, surviving family members of deceased patients in the intensive care unit mostly report valuing memory-making opportunities when offered. However, further research is required to evaluate both healthcare staff's competence and confidence in offering memory making and determine if such offerings promote the family's adjustment to the loss of their loved one after a death in the intensive care area.