Sights and Sounds of Respiratory Changes During Hospice Death Vigils: Hospice Caregivers Experience.

Context: Research has documented common respiratory changes at the end of life for hospice patients. Some studies have noted these symptoms as distressing and challenging for families, and as a potential reason for emergency room visits and hospice benefit revocation. However, the experiences and emotions of family members regarding these respiratory changes in the final days, particularly when they are alone in a home setting, are not well documented.

Family caregiver narratives of hospice death vigils.

Background: Often, family members and friends gather around a dying hospice patient to say goodbye in what is known as a death vigil. The purpose of this study is to explore the stories and experiences of family caregivers of hospice patients who participated in death vigils.

Methods: Qualitative analysis of interviews with 50 hospice family caregivers explored the experiences and memories affiliated with death vigils.

The Secrets of the Backstage: Directing Death Vigils.

The majority of hospice patients are over the age of 65, and the majority of hospice deaths occur in private homes. As a hospice patient's disease progresses, death becomes imminent and family and friends gather around to say good-bye. These private vigils are the culmination of the hospice experience and reflect both the strengths and the challenges surrounding hospice care.

Accessibility, Relevance, and Impact of a Symptom Monitoring Tool for Home Hospice Care: Theory Elaboration and Qualitative Assessment.

Background: Early users found Engagement and Visualization to Improve Symptoms in Oncology Care (ENVISION), a web-based application designed to improve home management of hospice patients' symptoms and support patients' and family caregivers' well-being, to be generally useful and easy to use. However, they also raised concerns about potential challenges users with limited technological proficiency might experience.

Objective: We sought to concurrently accomplish two interrelated study aims: (1) to develop a conceptual framework of digital inclusivity for health information systems and (2) to apply the framework in evaluating the digital inclusivity of the ENVISION application.