TY - JOUR

T1 - The experiences of family members witnessing the diminishing drinking of a dying relative

T2 - An adapted meta-narrative literature review

AU - Pettifer, Annie

AU - Froggatt, Katherine

AU - Hughes, Sean

N1 - The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Palliative Medicine, 33 (9), 2019, © SAGE Publications Ltd, 2019 by SAGE Publications Ltd at the Palliative Medicine page: https://journals.sagepub.com/home/pmj on SAGE Journals Online: http://online.sagepub.com/

PY - 2019/10/1

Y1 - 2019/10/1

N2 - Background: Addressing the concerns of family members is an important aspect of palliative and end-of-life care. One aspect that commonly causes family caregivers concern is the decline of patients’ oral fluid intake in the last few days of life. Aim: To map the narratives in which family members’ experiences of witnessing the diminishing drinking of a dying relative have been researched, review the findings within each narrative and consider directions for future research. Design: An adapted meta-narrative review approach. Data Sources: The Cumulative Index of Nursing and Applied Health Literature, Medline, PsycINFO, Psycharticles and Scopus databases were searched for relevant research published between January 1982 and December 2017. Quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment and Review Instrument. Results: A total of 22 papers met the inclusion criteria. No study focused specifically on the experiences of family members when witnessing the diminishing drinking of dying relatives. However, research about diminishing drinking was identified within studies broadly focusing on cancer cachexia, clinical decision-making about hydration and/or nutrition and support in a hospice context. The research indicates that family members’ experiences of diminishing drinking vary with their views about the significance of drinking, dying well and their expectations of themselves and healthcare professionals. Conclusion: While some understanding of the topic can be inferred from research in related areas, there is a paucity of information specifically about family members’ experiences when witnessing the diminishing drinking of a dying relative.

AB - Background: Addressing the concerns of family members is an important aspect of palliative and end-of-life care. One aspect that commonly causes family caregivers concern is the decline of patients’ oral fluid intake in the last few days of life. Aim: To map the narratives in which family members’ experiences of witnessing the diminishing drinking of a dying relative have been researched, review the findings within each narrative and consider directions for future research. Design: An adapted meta-narrative review approach. Data Sources: The Cumulative Index of Nursing and Applied Health Literature, Medline, PsycINFO, Psycharticles and Scopus databases were searched for relevant research published between January 1982 and December 2017. Quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment and Review Instrument. Results: A total of 22 papers met the inclusion criteria. No study focused specifically on the experiences of family members when witnessing the diminishing drinking of dying relatives. However, research about diminishing drinking was identified within studies broadly focusing on cancer cachexia, clinical decision-making about hydration and/or nutrition and support in a hospice context. The research indicates that family members’ experiences of diminishing drinking vary with their views about the significance of drinking, dying well and their expectations of themselves and healthcare professionals. Conclusion: While some understanding of the topic can be inferred from research in related areas, there is a paucity of information specifically about family members’ experiences when witnessing the diminishing drinking of a dying relative.

U2 - 10.1177/0269216319859728

DO - 10.1177/0269216319859728

M3 - Journal article

VL - 33

SP - 1146

EP - 1157

JO - Palliative Medicine

JF - Palliative Medicine

SN - 0269-2163

IS - 9

ER -