Family members of deceased palliative care patients receiving bereavement anniversary cards: a survey on the recipient’s reactions and opinions

BMC Palliative Care

Research Article

Christina Gerlach¹  Swantje Goebel¹  Martin Weber¹  Sandra Stephanie Mai¹  Karl-Heinz Feldmann²  Ulrike Windschmitt² 

[1] Interdisciplinary Palliative Care Unit, III. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany;University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany;

关键词: Bereavement anniversary cards;    Bereavement support;    Palliative care;    Bereaved family members;    Survey;    Questionnaire;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12904-017-0199-7

 received in 2016-11-24, accepted in 2017-04-10,  发布年份 2017

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundBereavement support is part of palliative care. Sending out bereavement anniversary cards is one intervention of follow-up support for the bereaved. This study evaluated the suitability of bereavement anniversary cards as an appropriate method in bereavement care.MethodsA questionnaire was sent to each card recipient since the starting point of this practice (October 2014-June 2015). Data was analyzed descriptively.Results24 of 68 deliverable questionnaires were returned (response rate 35%). 22 out of 24 recipients felt pleased receiving the card. No participant felt annoyed on receiving the bereavement anniversary card; every participant agreed to at least one positive reaction (i.e. pleased, grateful or consoled).ConclusionsThe participants’ reactions and opinions about receiving the anniversary card were decidedly positive and indicate the continuation of this practice. Those few less pleased reactions may be related to timing and the first anniversary of the patients’ death and therefore an expression of grief rather than a dissatisfaction with bereavement anniversary cards, as such.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2017