Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35125034›Full record

ArticleDementia (London, England)2022

Practical and emotional preparation for death: A mixed methods study investigating experiences of family carers of people with dementia.

Emily Fisher, Sophie Crawley, Elizabeth L Sampson, Claudia Cooper, Rebecca Jones, Kanthee Anantapong, Kirsten Moore

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Dementia (London, England), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Emily FisherResearch Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, 4919University College London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8110-8405
Sophie CrawleyMarie Curie Palliative Care Research Department, Division of Psychiatry, 325312University College London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5714-0563
Elizabeth L SampsonMarie Curie Palliative Care Research Department, Division of Psychiatry, 325312University College London, London, UK; Department of Psychological Medicine, Royal London Hospital, East London NHS Foundation Trust.
Claudia CooperMarie Curie Palliative Care Research Department, Division of Psychiatry, 325312University College London, London, UK; Division of Psychiatry, 325312University College London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2777-7616
Rebecca JonesDivision of Psychiatry, 325312University College London, London, UK.
Kanthee AnantapongMarie Curie Palliative Care Research Department, Division of Psychiatry, 325312University College London, London, UK; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3190-4355
Kirsten MooreMarie Curie Palliative Care Research Department, Division of Psychiatry, 325312University College London, London, UK; National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWhen family carers are more prepared for the end of the life of a person they care for, they report improved bereavement outcomes. Few studies have explored how carers prepare for the death of a person with dementia. We aimed to explore how carers for people with all stages of dementia experience preparing for end of life care and death.

methodsThis was a mixed methods cross-sectional study. Family carers of people with dementia (

resultsWe addressed practical and emotional preparation separately for 143 participants. Fifty seven percent of participants were very practically prepared for death, while only 29% were very emotionally prepared. Male carers were more likely than female carers to report being very emotionally and practically prepared. Higher engagement with healthcare professionals was associated with feeling very practically prepared; although we found that formal discussions of end of life care issues with healthcare professionals did not impact carers' feelings of preparation. Higher levels of dementia severity and carer depression were associated with feeling very emotionally prepared. Three qualitative themes related to practical and emotional preparation were identified: (1) ambiguity and uncertainty; (2) support from the system; and (3) how death is perceived by the carer.

conclusionsWhile most carers felt practically prepared for death, emotional preparation was much lower. Further research is needed to understand how engagement with healthcare professionals or other forms of social or emotional support could help carers, particularly female carers, to emotionally prepare for their relative's death.

Indexed as

BereavementDementiaTerminal CareCaregiversCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleQualitative Researchdeath preparationdeath preparednessdementiadementia carersend of lifeend of life preparationfamily carersmixed methods

Identifiers

PMID35125034
PMCPMC9003776

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.