2019 Volume 38 Pages 27-38
The purpose of this study was to investigate attitudes towards and details of support provided by nursing home social workers regarding end-of-life care in intensive care homes for the elderly, with a particular focus on the family decision making during the “transitional period.” This was a qualitative study conducted via an interview survey. Qualitative coding was performed for data analysis. Data analysis revealed that attitudes towards support can be defined as “coexistence with dilemmas that arise from putting family first,” and details of support as “sorting emotions and promoting choice-making through explanations of deathwatch.” Furthermore, characteristics of support are presented through comparison of the fields of nursing and social work. It is believed that the results of this research can contribute to investigations regarding decision-making support provided to families regarding end-of-life care in intensive care homes for the elderly as well as the division of roles and cooperation among professional caregivers.
