Questioned 48 hospice experts to elicit group judgments about hospice ideology, control over one's own death trajectory, and hospice's relevance for older individuals. Although high rate of consensus was obtained on many issues, little evidence of coherent ideology could be detected linking notions of hospice origins, issues of patient control,…

Details communication-related portions of new volunteer training process for Hospice organization. Description covers both theoretical intentions of training and contextual applications. Topics addressed include trusting, listening, talking about death and dying, communicating/interacting effectively, being assertive, taking responsibility,…

Assessed extent of unresolved grief in bereaved individuals attending two programs, their spiritual perspectives, and the relationship between them. Fifty-six individuals completed questionnaires, and 42 completed same questionnaires 3 months later. Results indicated that individuals manifested initial reactions to death, and these reactions were…

Survey of 68 hospice volunteers found volunteers to be relatively young, well-educated, in good health, motivated by religious beliefs and personal experience, and prepared for jobs after training and some on-the-job experience. Volunteers were most satisfied when working in direct contact with patients and families and in the hospital.…

Administered measures of generalized communication apprehension (CA), communication regarding the dying (CA-Dying), and death anxiety to 29 persons in a hospice volunteer training program and 30 persons on a hospice mailing list. Results suggest the CA-Dying scale possesses adequate reliability and validity to serve as useful index of difficulties…

Analyzed response bias among 34 recipients of care in hospice. Found nonrespondents to have better bereavement prognoses and tended to care for patients who were younger, male, and in program for shorter time. Nonrespondents were in contact with staff less than were respondents. Data are consistent with earlier research showing significant…

Examined competencies that hospice practitioners and experts in the field would agree upon as necessary attributes to being an effective hospice team member. Results indicated strong positive agreement between the rankings of the practitioners on emotional and interpersonal characteristics needed by hospice personnel to effectively function with…

Describes development of the Hospice Environmental Survey (HES) to measure user's perception of the homelike atmosphere provided by a hospital inpatient unit called Hospice House. Presents the HES instrument, methodology, and pilot study data. (Author/NB)

Based on nearly three years of participant-observation research in hospice settings, factors that interfere with the hospice philosophy of providing patient autonomy include efforts at symptom control, patient residence, patient disease state, and staff limit setting. Discusses examples, implications, and staff attempts at solutions. (JPS)

Reviews findings regarding attrition of hospice volunteers. Suggests ways to improve retention relating to several aspects of volunteer administrator's job including selection of volunteers, training, overseeing transition from training to actual volunteering, structuring communication between volunteers and paid staff, and supervising and…

Identifies three major areas of concern in relationship between health care providers and dying patients: (1) nature of difficulties and stresses associated with terminal care; (2) education of providers for work; and (3) influence of organizational structure and institutionalized values on services for dying patients and families. Reviews…

Hospice patient/family volunteers responded to personality questionnaires prior to training and to measures of death understanding and coping before and after training. Results showed that the volunteers were relatively low in anxiety, internally controlled, and empathetic before training. Following training, volunteers reported better…

Presents interview with Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of international hospice care movement. Saunders describes her background and experiences that led her to form the hospice movement and discusses the need for pain control for terminally ill patients. Saunders also notes her opposition to euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. (NB)

Examines feasibility of palliative approach for all patients, showing reasonable people may refuse even the most exemplary care for themselves or an incompetent relative. Medical realities and alleviation of pointless suffering necessitate that policymakers consider other options, including "active" euthanasia, consistent with patient…

Examines topics related to delivery of terminal care services: ability of various hospice programs to survive financially, contributions of various models of hospice care, impact of Medicare legislation on hospice movement, demonstration of unique hospice intervention, integration of spiritual care into hospice, and role of hospice in care of…