DO RELATIVES OF TERMINALLY ILL PATIENTS ALSO BENEFIT FROM HOSPICE CARE

An analysis was carried out on the extent to which staff responded to the relatives of cancer patients who had been admitted to the Consie Walters Hospice Care Centre, and the Pain Centre, both located in Kingston, Jamaica. Although no relationship was found between frequency of intervention and relatives' (caregivers') health, grief reactions were found to be related to a need for staff interaction. The more caregivers reported that they needed staff emotional support and practical assistance, the more intensely they reported grief, and the greater were their reports of anxiety and insomnia. Age was found to influence the relationship between adjustment and receiving intervention.