A first voice perspective of people experiencing homelessness on preferences for the end-of-life and end-of-life care during the COVID-19 pandemic
Abstract Objective People experiencing homelessness often encounter progressive illness(es) earlier and are at increased risk of mortality compared to the housed population. There are limited resources available to serve this population at the end-of-life (EOL). The purpose of this study was to gain...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2022-04-01
|
| Series: | BMC Research Notes |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-022-06025-z |
| _version_ | 1818480768027983872 |
|---|---|
| author | Cait Vihvelin Viraji Rupasinghe Jean Hughes Jeff Karabanow Lori E. Weeks |
| author_facet | Cait Vihvelin Viraji Rupasinghe Jean Hughes Jeff Karabanow Lori E. Weeks |
| author_sort | Cait Vihvelin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Objective People experiencing homelessness often encounter progressive illness(es) earlier and are at increased risk of mortality compared to the housed population. There are limited resources available to serve this population at the end-of-life (EOL). The purpose of this study was to gain insight into preferences for the EOL and end-of-life care for people experiencing homelessness. Utilizing an interpretive phenomenology methodology and the theoretical lens of critical social theory, we present results from 3 participants interviewed from August to October 2020, with current or previous experience of homelessness and a diagnosis of advanced disease/progressive life-threatening illness. Results A key finding focused on the existential struggle experienced by the participants in that they did not care if they lived or died. The participants described dying alone as a bad or undignified way to die and instead valued an EOL experience that was without suffering, surrounded by those who love them, and in a familiar place, wherever that may be. This study serves to highlight the need for improvements to meet the health care and social justice needs of people experiencing homelessness by ensuring equitable, humanistic health and end-of-life care, particularly during the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T11:26:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5cff150096e54737bf1882f4f2cfbaa8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1756-0500 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T11:26:43Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Research Notes |
| spelling | doaj.art-5cff150096e54737bf1882f4f2cfbaa82022-12-22T01:50:43ZengBMCBMC Research Notes1756-05002022-04-011511510.1186/s13104-022-06025-zA first voice perspective of people experiencing homelessness on preferences for the end-of-life and end-of-life care during the COVID-19 pandemicCait Vihvelin0Viraji Rupasinghe1Jean Hughes2Jeff Karabanow3Lori E. Weeks4School of Nursing, Dalhousie UniversitySchool of Nursing, Dalhousie UniversitySchool of Nursing, Dalhousie UniversitySchool of Social Work, Dalhousie UniversitySchool of Nursing, Dalhousie UniversityAbstract Objective People experiencing homelessness often encounter progressive illness(es) earlier and are at increased risk of mortality compared to the housed population. There are limited resources available to serve this population at the end-of-life (EOL). The purpose of this study was to gain insight into preferences for the EOL and end-of-life care for people experiencing homelessness. Utilizing an interpretive phenomenology methodology and the theoretical lens of critical social theory, we present results from 3 participants interviewed from August to October 2020, with current or previous experience of homelessness and a diagnosis of advanced disease/progressive life-threatening illness. Results A key finding focused on the existential struggle experienced by the participants in that they did not care if they lived or died. The participants described dying alone as a bad or undignified way to die and instead valued an EOL experience that was without suffering, surrounded by those who love them, and in a familiar place, wherever that may be. This study serves to highlight the need for improvements to meet the health care and social justice needs of people experiencing homelessness by ensuring equitable, humanistic health and end-of-life care, particularly during the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-022-06025-zHomelessnessPalliativeEnd-of-lifeDeathDyingCOVID-19 |
| spellingShingle | Cait Vihvelin Viraji Rupasinghe Jean Hughes Jeff Karabanow Lori E. Weeks A first voice perspective of people experiencing homelessness on preferences for the end-of-life and end-of-life care during the COVID-19 pandemic BMC Research Notes Homelessness Palliative End-of-life Death Dying COVID-19 |
| title | A first voice perspective of people experiencing homelessness on preferences for the end-of-life and end-of-life care during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | A first voice perspective of people experiencing homelessness on preferences for the end-of-life and end-of-life care during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | A first voice perspective of people experiencing homelessness on preferences for the end-of-life and end-of-life care during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | A first voice perspective of people experiencing homelessness on preferences for the end-of-life and end-of-life care during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | A first voice perspective of people experiencing homelessness on preferences for the end-of-life and end-of-life care during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | first voice perspective of people experiencing homelessness on preferences for the end of life and end of life care during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | Homelessness Palliative End-of-life Death Dying COVID-19 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-022-06025-z |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT caitvihvelin afirstvoiceperspectiveofpeopleexperiencinghomelessnessonpreferencesfortheendoflifeandendoflifecareduringthecovid19pandemic AT virajirupasinghe afirstvoiceperspectiveofpeopleexperiencinghomelessnessonpreferencesfortheendoflifeandendoflifecareduringthecovid19pandemic AT jeanhughes afirstvoiceperspectiveofpeopleexperiencinghomelessnessonpreferencesfortheendoflifeandendoflifecareduringthecovid19pandemic AT jeffkarabanow afirstvoiceperspectiveofpeopleexperiencinghomelessnessonpreferencesfortheendoflifeandendoflifecareduringthecovid19pandemic AT lorieweeks afirstvoiceperspectiveofpeopleexperiencinghomelessnessonpreferencesfortheendoflifeandendoflifecareduringthecovid19pandemic AT caitvihvelin firstvoiceperspectiveofpeopleexperiencinghomelessnessonpreferencesfortheendoflifeandendoflifecareduringthecovid19pandemic AT virajirupasinghe firstvoiceperspectiveofpeopleexperiencinghomelessnessonpreferencesfortheendoflifeandendoflifecareduringthecovid19pandemic AT jeanhughes firstvoiceperspectiveofpeopleexperiencinghomelessnessonpreferencesfortheendoflifeandendoflifecareduringthecovid19pandemic AT jeffkarabanow firstvoiceperspectiveofpeopleexperiencinghomelessnessonpreferencesfortheendoflifeandendoflifecareduringthecovid19pandemic AT lorieweeks firstvoiceperspectiveofpeopleexperiencinghomelessnessonpreferencesfortheendoflifeandendoflifecareduringthecovid19pandemic |