Vård i Norden
-
An evaluation was made of relatives' experiences of the care of the patient and the treatment of themselves at a geriatric ward where elderly patients dying of cancer were nursed. A questionnaire was sent to 100 relatives after they had agreed on telephone to participate. 86 relatives answered the questions. The results shows that the majority of the relatives were satisfied with the care of the patient and the treatment of themselves as relatives. ⋯ They also need support and invitation to get the courage to ask questions and to participate in the care of their dying next-of-kin. We need deepen our knowledge of what kind of information the relatives demands and what information needs to be repeated. Evaluations of routines to make contact easier between patients, their relatives and hospital staff should be done continuously.