Palliative Care for Institutionalized Elderly Persons: Experience of Caregivers

Abstract The number of elderly persons institutionalized in residential facilities that provide various types of care is increasing all the time. Care is provided by caregivers who, often unknowingly, are delivering palliative care, and in doing so, are accompanying the elderly persons to their death. The aim of the present study was to investigate how terminal illness and death are experienced by caregivers. A qualitative explorative-descriptive study was carried out, featuring a phenomenological approach, in accordance with Giorgi. The sample was comprised of nine individuals who worked in residential facilities, with data collected through a semi-structured interview. Following data analysis, eight categories were defined: relationship with the elderly person; positive experiences, positive feelings, negative experiences, negative feelings, strategies, consequences and training. These categories were then divided into subcategories. It can be concluded that the caregivers experienced great difficulty when dealing with suffering at the end of life. This did not prevent them from enjoying their work, and a number of positive aspects of their relationships with the elderly were mentioned. The need to provide more support for these professionals, whether through further training or the level of psychological support provided, is also fundamental in this area of palliative care, as only in this way will individuals feel more able and confident about performing their tasks, brining greater benefit for the elderly persons.