Grant: Catalyst Grant: Ethics

Research has shown that a significant number of Canadians wish to die in their homes. There is also evidence to suggest that family members do not feel they have the skills needed to care for their loved ones in their homes and may not see themselves as having a choice in terms of keeping them there. This may create tension in families and result in ethical concerns for both families and health care team members. At present, our knowledge of ethical practice in the context of the care of individuals dying at home is limited. Our research team is interested in exploring ethical practice in palliative home care. The purpose of the proposed two-year study is to explore and describe ethical practice in palliative home care from the perspective of palliative home care team members, patients, and family members.