Time and place
We know fairly well where people want to die. When asked, the majority of people (60 to 70 per cent) say they want to die at home, while less than 10 per cent want to die in hospital, and fewer in a hospice. We also know that, in reality, the majority of people still die in hospital.
What is less clear is why so many more people say they want to die at home. This research aims to identify precisely what values people associate with dying in a home environment – whether primarily having friends and family around, or being in a familiar, non-clinical setting. By focusing on what people want at the end of their lives, rather than on the location, the aim is to take these lessons and improve experiences of end of life care across all settings.
Our research will begin with surveys of the general public to determine what values people currently associate with dying at home, in a hospice, and in hospital, and what support services people would expect to find in each location. This will be followed by focus groups with families who have direct experience of different end of life care settings, to explore how the reality of care matched their expectations. The third component will be interviews with practitioners to discuss both what people want from end of life care, and the capacity of different settings to deliver them in a financially sustainable way.
Through this research, we hope to move away from using 'where' as a proxy for 'how' when it comes to people’s preferences for the end of life, and unlock the potential for people to achieve 'a good death', wherever they are.
The project is supported by Sue Ryder.
For further information contact Jo Salter.