J Korean Acad Child Health Nurs.  2009 Jul;15(3):325-333.

Cognition and Needs for Hospice Care among Parents of Children with Cancer

• Koo HY
• Choi SH
• Park HR

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was done to investigate the cognition and needs for hospice care among parents of children with cancer. METHOD: The participants were 73 parents of children with cancer. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires and analyzed using the SPSS/WIN Program. RESULTS: Less than half of parents (49.3%) told the child about the disease. If the child could not be treated medically, 39.5% of the parents answered that they would have the child treated in a hospital until his/her last days, while 62.8% of the parents replied that it would be appropriate for the child to get hospice care when all medical treatments for the child failed, or when the end of the child's life was near. Needs for hospice care for the parents were high, and the physical care of the child ranked as the most important. CONCLUSION: The above findings indicate that the parents were not cognitive enough about hospice care, but needed hospice care, especially as it is related to the physical care of the children. Therefore hospice care, based on cognition and needs of parents, should be provided for children and their families.

Keyword

Child; Parents; Hospice care

MeSH Terms

Child
Cognition
Hospice Care
Hospices
Humans
Parents
Child Health
Surveys and Questionnaires