Diminishing drinking in dying people: the needs of family members
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The experiences and needs of family members when witnessing the diminishing drinking of a relative dying in hospital: a narrative inquiry.
IRAS ID
221699
Contact name
Annie Pettifer
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Research Integrity and Governance Officer, Research Services,
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 3 months, 1 days
Research summary
Most people in England die of long-term conditions such as cancer, heart disease and dementia that cause people to get sicker gradually. In the last few days before death, people usually drink less and less, and many stop drinking altogether. Often families (including close friends) are concerned about this and many find it distressing. This concern and distress is particularly prevalent amongst family members of those who die in hospitals.
Supporting family members of dying patients is part of the role of healthcare professionals. However, at the moment, there is little research about the experience and needs of families in his situation to enable professionals to support them effectively. This study aims to find out how the families of dying people who are drinking less and less are affected, and how healthcare professionals might support them at the time.
The researcher intends to recruit between ten and twenty people who have recently had a relative die in hospital whose drinking diminished in the last few days before they died. Bereavement officers will give those meeting the inclusion criteria a written invitation to participate in the study when they come to collect the death certificate. Anyone who wishes to participate will be asked to return an expression of interest form to enable the researcher to contact him/her to arrange an interview meeting either in their own home, the hospital or in another suitable place. At the beginning of the meeting participants will be asked to provide written consent. Once this has been given, the researcher will invite participants to share their story of their relatives' diminishing drinking though semi-structured questions. These stories will be analysed, reported and shared with healthcare professionals.
This study is part of a PhD in End of life care at Lancaster University.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/NW/0392
Date of REC Opinion
1 Aug 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion