Engaging Future Healthcare Professionals as Caregivers to Hospice Patients in Comfort Care Homes

Bibliographic Data

ID13628557
AuthorsKelly Melekis (0000-0003-4817-9129, Skidmore College, corresponding author), Carol S Weisse (0000-0003-0068-9584, Union College), Emma L W Phillips (0000-0001-9989-2536, Skidmore College), Emma Phillips (0000-0002-6576-7355, Skidmore College)
Year2021
Volume87
Issue2
Pages632-648
Publication date2021-06-22
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueOMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0030-2228 • E-ISSN: 1541-3764
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/00302228211026197
PMID34154456
OpenAlexW3175040389
LanguageEN
References cited20

Most people wish to die at home yet significant barriers exist in accessing care in one's home, especially for individuals with caregiver and/or housing instability. Across the U.S., residential homes for the dying are opening to address gaps in end-of-life care by recruiting community members to serve as caregivers to hospice patients during their final days. This paper describes a blended-experiential training program, informed by both an evidence-based educational framework and transformative learning theory, that trains undergraduate students to serve as surrogate family members to hospice patients in residential care homes. This study analyzed data from a sample of undergraduate students (n = 35) who participated in an 8-week program. Applying Kirkpatrick's evaluation model, study results indicate the program provided essential knowledge and skills in end-of-life care, benefiting both student learning outcomes and resident care

Experiential learning · Family caregivers · Health care · Hospice care · Medical education · Palliative care · Pedagogy · Transformative learning · Family and Patient Care in Intensive Care Units · Interprofessional Education and Collaboration · Medicine · Nursing · Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues · Psychology · Gerontology

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