Size and composition of family networks of decedents: A nationwide register-based study.

backgroundSeriously ill individuals rely heavily on family caregivers at the end of life. Yet many do not have family support.

aimTo characterize the size and composition of decedents' family networks by cause of death, demographic, clinical, socioeconomic, and geographic characteristics.

designA cross-sectional population-level study with data collected from nation-wide registers. SETTING/

participantsAll adults in Denmark born between 1935 and 1998 who died of natural causes between 2009 and 2016 were linked at the time of death to living adult spouses/partners, children, siblings, parents, and grandchildren.

resultsAmong 175,755 decedents (median age: 68 years, range: 18-81 years), 61% had a partner at the time of death and 78% had at least one adult child. Ten percent of decedents had no identified living adult family members. Decedents with family had a median of five relatives. Males were more likely to have a spouse/partner (65%) than females (56%). While 93% of decedents dying of cancer had adult family, only 70% of individuals dying of dementia had adult family at the time of death. The majority of cancer decedents co-resided or lived within 30 km of family (88%), compared to only 65% of those dying from psychiatric illness.

conclusionsWhile the majority of adults had an extensive family network at the time of death, a substantial proportion of decedents had no family, suggesting the need for non-family based long-term service and support systems. Assessment of family networks can expand our understanding of the end-of-life caregiving process and inform palliative care delivery.