MA Healthcare, International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 8(19), p. 375-382, 2013
DOI: 10.12968/ijpn.2013.19.8.375
Full text: Unavailable
The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of long-term care (LTC) residents living and dying with heart failure (HF) and their family members. An exploratory descriptive design was used to collect data from seven LTC residents and seven family members. The data was analysed using thematic content analysis. The main themes that emerged from the data were: limited understanding of the HF diagnosis, living with restrictions and other comorbidities, making decisions about transitioning to end-of-life care, and learning and negotiating the lines of communication. Residents and family members communicated with many health-care providers about managing the HF symptoms but most often worked through the nurse when problems arose or decisions about care needed to be made. The findings from this study contribute to our understanding of residents' and family members' experiences in managing residents' HF in LTC.