Palliative Home Care, Grief and Bereavement

Terminal cancer and other severe diseases do not only affect the patient but also the whole family. Terminally ill patients often choose to spend as much of their time as possible at home, thus involving family members in the care process. This book is a mother’s story about the palliative home care of her dying adult son, also a father to a three-year-old daughter. The son was cared for at home while dying from leiomyosarcoma. The palliative home care and the mother’s grief and bereavement are described in four stories: Hope and disavowal versus fear and despair, Communication in action between family caregivers and a palliative home care team, Words that made a difference in grief and bereavement and Communication across generations. The stories are interpreted and analyzed. Trust, flexibility, continuity, accessibility and empowerment were key concepts in the communication between the family caregivers and the palliative home care team. Empathy based on institutions, on compassion, on shared experiences and loss, but also empathy to self, contributed to the mother’s reconciliation.