End-of-life care in Hancock County, Maine: a community snapshot

Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2008 Apr-May;25(2):132-8. doi: 10.1177/1049909107310143. Epub 2008 Jan 15.

Abstract

This study presents a model for identifying end-of-life concerns in 1 rural community: Hancock County, Maine. Focus groups and structured interviews were held with primary care physicians, hospice staffs, clergy, hospice board members, long-term care facility staffs, and families of patients who had died either with or without hospice services. A list of suggestions for action within the community was generated from the interviews. Specific ideas targeted for implementation as a result of this project were educational sessions for long-term care facility staff, hospital grand rounds for primary care physicians, collaboration to bring information to the general public, stronger liaisons between long-term care facility and hospice staffs, and investigation of the development of a dedicated hospice facility. This is a simple, easily accomplished model to evaluate hospice needs in a small community.

MeSH terms

  • Advance Directives
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Attitude of Health Personnel*
  • Attitude to Health*
  • Cause of Death
  • Community Participation / methods
  • Community Participation / statistics & numerical data
  • Family / psychology
  • Female
  • Focus Groups
  • Health Care Surveys
  • Health Resources / organization & administration
  • Humans
  • Length of Stay / statistics & numerical data
  • Maine / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Needs Assessment / organization & administration*
  • Palliative Care / organization & administration*
  • Palliative Care / psychology
  • Prognosis
  • Rural Health Services / organization & administration*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Terminal Care / organization & administration*
  • Terminal Care / psychology
  • Total Quality Management / organization & administration