Family Beliefs Regarding the Nutritional Care of a Terminally Ill Relative: A Qualitative Study

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Abstract
To develop a conceptual model of family caregiver beliefs and behavior related to nutritional care of the terminally ill by examining the perspectives of family members, patients, and health care providers. Qualitative study using in-depth, open-ended, face to face interviews, participant observation, and content analysis. A total of 47 participants from 4 groups: hospitalized palliative patients with cancer (n = 13), family members of hospitalized palliative patients with cancer (n = 13), health care providers on a palliative care unit (n = 11), and bereaved family members who had previously experienced the death of a relative on a palliative care unit. Participant views on nutritional care in the terminal phases of illness. There is marked variability in the ways family members respond to a dying cachectic anorexic relative. The overarching theme of "doing what's best" captures this variability and integrates the major categories into the key analytic model emerging from this study. We have developed a conceptual model of family beliefs regarding the nutritional care of a hospitalized terminally ill relative. The model has implications for education, practice, and research regarding nutritional care in the palliative care setting.