Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

A possibility for strengthening family life and health : Family members’ lived experience when a sick child receives home care in Sweden

Castor, Charlotte LU ; Landgren, Kajsa LU orcid ; Hansson, Helena LU and Kristensson Hallström, Inger LU (2018) In Health and Social Care in the Community 26(2). p.224-231
Abstract

Families often prefer home care to hospital care, and home-care services for ill children are increasing worldwide with limited knowledge of families’ needs during curative and palliative home care. The aim of this study was to elucidate family members’ lived experience when a sick child received home care from county-based primary healthcare services. A descriptive qualitative design was chosen and 12 families including sick children receiving home care and their mothers, fathers and siblings in the south of Sweden were interviewed between December 2015 and January 2017. The transcribed interviews were analysed using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. The family members’ lived experience was described in three essential themes:... (More)

Families often prefer home care to hospital care, and home-care services for ill children are increasing worldwide with limited knowledge of families’ needs during curative and palliative home care. The aim of this study was to elucidate family members’ lived experience when a sick child received home care from county-based primary healthcare services. A descriptive qualitative design was chosen and 12 families including sick children receiving home care and their mothers, fathers and siblings in the south of Sweden were interviewed between December 2015 and January 2017. The transcribed interviews were analysed using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. The family members’ lived experience was described in three essential themes: “Strengthening family life” relates to how home care induced freedom and luxury in a strained period of life and supported the families’ everyday life. Usual social activities and relations were maintained as time and energy was saved when receiving home care. “Promoting health” relates to how the family members’ burden of illness decreased as the child's signs of illness alleviated and the well-being of the whole family increased when the child received care in the home. This provided a peaceful respite for family members’ psychosocial recovery. The third theme, “Creating alliances,” relates to the importance of creating trustful alliances for communicating participation in care. If trustful alliances were not created, parents felt an overwhelming responsibility and family members became anxious. The findings suggest that care in the family's home is a useful complement to hospital care. Home care should be given with close attention to family members’ needs and conditions, as positive effects of home care might be jeopardised when expectations and possibilities are not successfully shared.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
child, family members’ lived experience, hermeneutic phenomenology, home-care services, paediatric care
in
Health and Social Care in the Community
volume
26
issue
2
pages
8 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85041564046
  • pmid:29094475
ISSN
0966-0410
DOI
10.1111/hsc.12512
project
Children with cancer
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3ba9cd74-d0cc-46e2-a722-f88227774eac
date added to LUP
2018-02-20 14:52:16
date last changed
2024-12-10 03:31:50
@article{3ba9cd74-d0cc-46e2-a722-f88227774eac,
  abstract     = {{<p>Families often prefer home care to hospital care, and home-care services for ill children are increasing worldwide with limited knowledge of families’ needs during curative and palliative home care. The aim of this study was to elucidate family members’ lived experience when a sick child received home care from county-based primary healthcare services. A descriptive qualitative design was chosen and 12 families including sick children receiving home care and their mothers, fathers and siblings in the south of Sweden were interviewed between December 2015 and January 2017. The transcribed interviews were analysed using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. The family members’ lived experience was described in three essential themes: “Strengthening family life” relates to how home care induced freedom and luxury in a strained period of life and supported the families’ everyday life. Usual social activities and relations were maintained as time and energy was saved when receiving home care. “Promoting health” relates to how the family members’ burden of illness decreased as the child's signs of illness alleviated and the well-being of the whole family increased when the child received care in the home. This provided a peaceful respite for family members’ psychosocial recovery. The third theme, “Creating alliances,” relates to the importance of creating trustful alliances for communicating participation in care. If trustful alliances were not created, parents felt an overwhelming responsibility and family members became anxious. The findings suggest that care in the family's home is a useful complement to hospital care. Home care should be given with close attention to family members’ needs and conditions, as positive effects of home care might be jeopardised when expectations and possibilities are not successfully shared.</p>}},
  author       = {{Castor, Charlotte and Landgren, Kajsa and Hansson, Helena and Kristensson Hallström, Inger}},
  issn         = {{0966-0410}},
  keywords     = {{child; family members’ lived experience; hermeneutic phenomenology; home-care services; paediatric care}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{224--231}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Health and Social Care in the Community}},
  title        = {{A possibility for strengthening family life and health : Family members’ lived experience when a sick child receives home care in Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hsc.12512}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/hsc.12512}},
  volume       = {{26}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}