Realization of End-of-life Care through Community-based Services

Content Analysis of Focus Group Discussion among Community Workers

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to clarify the end-of-life care experiences of community workers and their problems and to explore possible solutions to promote end-of-life care through community-based services.

Method: A total of 18 staff members from 11 group homes for the elderly with dementia and small community-based multiservice agencies participated in the study. Qualitative and descriptive design was used, and data were collected by focus group session and questionnaires to conduct a content analysis by Berelson’s method.

Result: The participants’ end-of-life care experiences in community-based services were classified into six categories; the extension of everyday life, conflict, skills, support system building, significance, and future challenges. Extracted challenges were facility’s service system, difficulty in collaboration with other medical services, institutional issues, lack of education about death, and lack of understanding toward end-of-life care.

Conclusion: The study suggested that end-of-life care through community-based services was provided as an extension of everyday life and the staff, even though they felt conflicted, obtained necessary skills, made effort to build a support system, and determined the significance of the end-of-life care. To solve the current issues, it was considered to be important to work in cooperation with doctors. The group session in the study assisted workers to build their information network which would be expected to promote end-of-life care.