Närståendes upplevelser av stöd i den sena palliativa fasen

Family members need a great deal of support during palliative care. It is vital for the family that nursing contacts are accessible all day and night. The nurse can support the family members by sharing a professional knowledge and adapt the information to the recipient, by being present and also encourage them by not only focus on death. The support should be adapted to each individual and also have the possibility to be adjusted in each case. The aim of the study was to illustrate family members experiences of support in a late stage of palliative care. A literature review was used to analyze articles related to the purpose of this study. The results showed that availability, information and emotional support are important elements in family members experiences of support in palliative care. It was important that the nurse took the initiative to give information about palliative care. An adequate information made family members experience participation and contingency to manage the situation. Family members also expressed the importance of confirmation in their situation by the nurse. Findings indicate that family members need a well paving information in the early stages in palliative care. This is a prerequisit for family members to feel a satisfactory participation and confidence in their experience of an adequate support regardless cultural differences