A qualitative investigation of the palliative care needs of terminally ill people who live alone

Abstract

This paper investigates the support needs of people living alone with a terminal illness form a client perspective. In depth, interviews were conducted with 11 clients from Silver Chain Hospice Care in Western Australia to capture their personal experiences of managing at home alone and to assess their physical, social and emotional needs. Findings provided useful insights with respect to many of the motivations, beliefs and wishes of individuals who endeavour to cope on their own with minimal assistance. The needs of the individuals are practical, emotional, physical and existential. At the height of these concerns is a strong need to be independent and maintain a sense of dignity at the end of life.