Making end-of-life health disparities in the U.S. visible through family bereavement narratives

Making end-of-life health disparities in the U.S. visible through family bereavement narratives
PEC Innovation; by Cassidy Taladay-Carter; 4/24
End-of-life experiences can have important implications for the meaning-making and communication of bereaved family members, particularly due to (in)access to formal healthcare services (i.e., palliative care and hospice). Grounded in Communicated Narrative Sense-Making theory, this study extends knowledge about how the stories told about end-of-life by bereaved family members affect and reflect their sense-making, well-being and importantly, potential disparities in end-of-life care. ... Four themes illustrated the continuum of communication that families engaged in when making sense of end-of-life experiences, including reflections on silence, tempered frustrations, comfort with care, and support from beyond.