Volunteers in a biography project with palliative care patients - a feasibility study

Exploring Audio Recording in Terminally Ill Patients Receiving Hospice Care: "Stories for Life Charity" Model

Stories for Life is a UK charity that provides a free and confidential service for terminally ill patients to audio record their "life story." Patients are given a copy of the recording and, if they wish, can then pass a copy on to their family/friends. This study explored how a group of terminally ill patients, receiving hospice care, experienced the process of making a voice recording of their biographies. Interviews were conducted with 5 terminally ill patients and 1 family member. Study participants found that talking to a trained volunteer provided a neutral, nonjudgmental interviewer. Patients reported a feeling of catharsis while telling their story as well as being able to reflect on significant life events. However, it was challenging to convey difficult emotions while also being mindful of protecting family who may listen to the recording. Although there was some uncertainty about how the recording would be perceived by listeners, leaving a voice-recorded life account was felt to be beneficial for immediate family members, as well as maintaining a meaningful connection with future generations. Overall, recording an audio biography in terminal illness can allow patients a space for reflection and a meaningful connection with their families.

Audiobooks from terminally ill parent for their children - a qualitative evaluation

Background

Improving the quality of life is one of the main objectives of palliative care. Biographical approaches are often used in combination with leaving a legacy in a range of different interventions such as Dignity Therapy or Life Review. This study presents an evaluation of audiobook biographies for palliative care patients with young children.

Methods

Young parents diagnosed with a life-limiting disease could participate and create an audiobook for their young children. The audiobook itself was recorded over several days and edited by qualified radio journalists. After providing informed consent participants were interviewed twice over the course of the intervention regarding expectations, concerns, motivation, and experiences. Interviews and notes were transcribed verbatim and were analyzed using content analysis. The contents of the audiobooks are not part of the evaluation.

Results

The data were collected from February 2017 till September 2020. Fifty-four patients with ninety-six children at a mean age of 7 years were included and created an audiobook. The main theme of all interviews were the children. Within this field identified main topics were legacy, motivation, usage, benefit, aims, difficulties and worries in descending order. All patients would recommend the intervention.

Conclusion

Creating an audiobook as a legacy to their children seemed to help the diseased parents to cope with their limited life span.

End-of-life doulas: A qualitative analysis of interviews with Australian and International death doulas on their role

Death doulas (DD) are working with people at the end of life in varied roles with more clarity needed around their role and place within the health and social care systems. The aim of this work is to explore the DD role in end-of-life care from the perspective of DDs. A sub-group of 20 DDs from a larger quantitative survey participated in semi-structured telephone Skype or Zoom interviews. Interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. Seven themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: what a DD offers, what a DD does, challenges and barriers, occupational preferences, family support, contract of service/fee and regulation. There is a general perception that healthcare professionals (HCP) do not understand what it is that DDs do; thus, the current study has helped to demystify the DD role and potentially reduce suspicion. The lack of a DD business model sees inconsistencies in what services each DD offers and what patients and families can expect. End of life is complex and confusing for patients and families and there is a need to further explore the DD role and how it can work when there are many inconsistencies in working practice. More research is required to look at the interplay among DDs, HCPs and palliative care volunteers in addressing the gaps in care provision and how these relationships might be more seamlessly managed.