The Impact of Family Communication Patterns on Hospice Family Caregivers

Abstract

Family caregivers often rely on clinicians to initiate family discussions about hospice and care of the dying1. Mortality communication, or talk between terminally-ill patients and families about impending death, is encouraged in hospice 2. Most terminally-ill patients use this time to discuss spiritual and psychosocial matters not previously broached between family members 3. Families with open communication prior to the disease maintain the pattern throughout the illness as the situation prompts families to view this as a time to be together 4. However, not all families are able to have open conversations about dying and death. Some families attempt to hide hospice care and instruct healthcare providers not to mention hospice in front of the patient, not to tell the patient that they are terminal, and not to talk about dying and death in front of the patient 5. Overall, families of hospice patients report difficulty talking about the process of dying and death 5. This study investigated concerns shared by informal caregivers (friends or family members) who were designated or legally appointed as the family caregiver of a hospice patient to learn more about family communication patterns during hospice caregiving. We hereafter refer to this group as family caregivers.