Structure of Family's Decision Making Process and Discharge Planning

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze discharge-decision making process of family members and to clarify the strategies to facilitate discharge planning. The case-study method was employed on two families who were referred to discharge planning nurses in hospitals. The results were as follows: (1) When the client hoped to live at home with home-care services, it was an indispensable necessity that the caregiver to make discharge-decision in order to meet the client's request. (2) The family members who needed support from discharge planning nurses the principle caregiver at home. (3) The support for the family members in discharge-decision making consisted of the assessment of the enabling condition of home care and offering information regarding the condition. (4) In order all the family members to agree support for home-care, the discharge-planning nurse had listened to the requests from each family member. Then the nurse informed several services that were available for the client. With this support process, the family members made decision to accept a new life-style, and the final decision became an united view of all family members for actualizing home-care of their loved one.