Family expectations of elderly palliative care: A literature review

Abstract

Background: It is estimated that 40 million people require palliative care yearly and most of the people live in low and middle-income countries. Palliative care as taking care of the elderly in such a way that suffering is prevented, and relief brought about for both adult and pediatric patients. Aim: To establish the expectations of family in elderly palliative care Method: The sources used in this literature review were limited to CINAHL and Google Scholar. The literature review comprised of two databases during the period of 2010 to 2020. In order to insure the objectives were met, the use of critical appraisal was introduced and articles were debunked and methodically examined. Results: This literature review shows that palliative care integration within primary healthcare can be achieved through building information and communication skills of healthcare providers, engaging and empowering patients to exercise their agency in care decisions, and adequately delineating healthcare providers’ roles to ensure staff work within their competencies and training. Educational awareness campaign should be carried to debunk any misconceptions on palliative care and increase its uptake by the elderly. Conclusion: Training programs for health care providers and palliative and grief care education programs for the public should also be developed. Family members must also have basic knowledge of how to deal with elderly people who have terminal illness and in need of special care.