The significance of lifeworld and the case of hospice

Abstract

Questions on what it means to live and die well are raised and discussed in the hospice movement. A phenomenological lifeworld perspective may help professionals to be aware of meaningful and important dimensions in the lives of persons close to death. Lifeworld is not an abstract philosophical term, but rather the opposite. Lifeworld is about everyday, common life in all its aspects. In the writings of Cicely Saunders, known as the founder of the modern hospice movement, facets of lifeworld are presented as important elements in caring for dying patients. Palliative care and palliative medicine today are, in many ways, replacing hospices. This represents not only a change in name, but also in the main focus. Hospice care was originally very much about providing support and comfort for, and interactions with the patients. Improved medical knowledge today means improved symptomatic palliation, but also time and resources spent in other ways than before. Observations from a Nordic hospice ward indicate that seriously ill and dying persons spend much time on their own. Different aspects of lifeworld and intersubjectivity in the dying persons’ room is presented and discussed.

Palliative Sedation Versus Euthanasia: An Ethical Assessment

“…A recent observational study in a Nordic hospice confirms this dissipation of the hospice philosophy: the wards are quiet, the patients alone in their rooms, and the staff is busy. 76 We hasten to emphasize that this silence was not the result of all patients being sedated. But the authors do speculate that the intervention-oriented medicalization of palliative care, of which palliative sedation is a paradigmatic example, contributed to this return to silence.…”

Toward a socio-spiritual approach? A mixed-methods systematic review on the social and spiritual needs of patients in the palliative phase of their illness

“…16 Combining these aspects, sociality can be defined as the dimension of human life related to how people make and maintain relationships with others and that concerns how values, norms, rules, and roles are respected. [14][15][16][17][18] Life-threatening illnesses can challenge patients' sociality; limiting their autonomy, independence, and performance status and affecting their social, professional, and family roles as well as changing their bodily appearance. 19 Consequently, the perception of a limited future makes it more challenging to formulate own goals, expectations, values, and interests concerning one's social context.…”

‘Life is still worth living’: a pilot exploration of self-reported resources of palliative care patients

“…Living with a terminal illness is a highly stressful situation, causing substantial impact on the way patients relate to their social network and their way of living [ 1 ]. Patients in palliative care frequently report a variety of physical and psychological symptoms including depressive symptoms [ 2 ].…”