The main aim of this study was to examine similarities and differences in satisfaction with care between 112 family members who were close to patients who had participated in an intervention with a comprehensive palliative care program and the 68 family members in a conventional care program (controls). The FAMCARE Scale measured satisfaction with care at one month after the time of death. The majority of respondents reported high satisfaction with care. The respondents related to the patients in the intervention group reported significantly higher satisfaction with care than the respondents related to the patients in the control group. This difference remained unchanged after controlling for a range of other relevant factors: relationship to the deceased, sex and age of the respondent, sex and age of the patient, time since inclusion in the study, and place of death.

This study aimed to contribute to the validation of the 30-item Quality of Life Questionnaire developed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Study Group (EORTC QLQ-C30). The sample consisted of 177 cancer patients with heterogeneous diagnoses. A series of scales representing various dimensions of quality of life were tested, including those proposed by the EORTC Study Group. Mokken's non-parametric latent trait model for unidimensional scaling was used as the basic scaling procedure. This model gives coefficients of scalability in addition to reliability coefficients. In terms of scalability measured by Loevinger's H, all EORTC Study Group scales, except the cognitive functioning scale were found to be quite satisfactory. The cognitive functioning scale and the role functioning scale were below the satisfactory level in terms of reliability (internal consistency). In total, our study strengthens the external validity of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and confirms that it may be used on cancer patients with various diagnoses.

Nursing management and leaders must take in consideration that work culture is crucial for improving quality of care in nursing homes, and this study can be used to increase the focus on the work culture among healthcare personnel in nursing homes. Changes are necessary to increase healthcare personnel's job satisfaction, empowerment, autonomy and influence in nursing homes. Giving empowerment to the healthcare personnel working in nursing homes is both an organisational and an interpersonal issue. Being given empowerment and influence over their own work situation, the healthcare workers can be more committed and involved in the goal of obtaining best possible care to the residents.

This longitudinal study examined factors related to grief reactions in a systematic and standardized way in 183 close family members to individuals who died of cancer. Grief reactions were measured using the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief (TRIG). A repeated measures MANOVA was used to test and compare the grief reactions of the bereaved for one year after the loss. The female respondents showed stronger grief reactions than the male respondents. The grief reactions increased with age, and those who had lost a younger family member experienced stronger grief reactions than those who had lost an older family member. The relationship to the deceased, the duration of the disease, place of death, aspects of social support such as children living at home, and employment were not related to the grief reactions in the bereaved respondents when controlling for the former factors.