The importance and meaning of prayer rituals at the end of life

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-39
Author(s):  
Dean Anderson ◽  
Joanna De Souza
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Care ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Sense Of Control ◽  
Cultural Perspective ◽  
Death Rituals ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Different Cultures ◽  
Spiritual Suffering

Death rituals, such as the ritual of prayer, can offer cultural comfort to people who are grieving the loss of their own life or that of another. This article explores the meaning of ritual, how rituals are structured and how prayer rituals are used at the end of life from a cross-cultural perspective. Facing death can be a challenge to a person's sense of identity and their understanding of their world around them, beginning a process of spiritual suffering. Prayer rituals can help maintain a sense of control and identity during this time of crisis, offering comfort, meaning and structure. Despite varying outward appearances, prayer rituals from different cultures follow similar structures that can be deconstructed, allowing nurses to decipher their meaning and deepen the quality of care they provide to the dying person and those left behind.

Hospital end-of-life care: families’ free-text notes

2020 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2020-00239
Author(s):  
Sandra Kurkowski ◽  
Johannes Radon ◽  
Annika R Vogt ◽  
Martin Weber ◽  
Stephanie Stiel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
End Of Life Care ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Life Care ◽  
Quality Aspects ◽  
Care Of The Dying

BackgroundPalliative care strives to improve quality of life for patients with incurable diseases. This approach includes adequate support of the patients’ loved ones. Consequently, loved ones have personal experiences of providing end-of-life care for their next. This is a resource for information and may help to investigate the loved ones’ perspectives on need for improvements.AimTo identify further quality aspects considered important by loved ones to improve the quality of care at the end of life as an addition to quantitative results from the Care of the Dying Evaluation for the German-speaking area (CODE-GER) questionnaire.DesignWithin the validation study of the questionnaire ‘Care of the Dying Evaluation’ (CODETM) GER, loved ones were asked to comment (free text) in parallel on each item of the CODE-GER. These free-text notes were analysed with the qualitative content analysis method by Philipp Mayring.Setting/participantsLoved ones of patients (n=237), who had died an expected death in two university hospitals (palliative and non-palliative care units) during the period from April 2016 to March 2017.Results993 relevant paragraphs were extracted out of 1261 free-text notes. For loved ones, important aspects of quality of care are information/communication, respect of the patient’s and/or loved one’s will, involvement in decision-making at the end of life (patient’s volition) and having the possibility to say goodbye.ConclusionsIt is important for loved ones to be taken seriously in their sorrows, to be informed, that the caregivers respect the patients’ will and to be emotionally supported.Trial registration numberThis study was registered at the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00013916).

scholarly journals Aggressiveness of Cancer Care Near the End of Life: Is It a Quality-of-Care Issue?

2008 ◽  
Vol 26 (23) ◽  
pp. 3860-3866 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig C. Earle ◽  
Mary Beth Landrum ◽  
Jeffrey M. Souza ◽  
Bridget A. Neville ◽  
Jane C. Weeks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Care ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Aggressive Treatment ◽  
Care Issue ◽  
Open Question

The purpose of this article is to review the literature and update analyses pertaining to the aggressiveness of cancer care near the end of life. Specifically, we will discuss trends and factors responsible for chemotherapy overuse very near death and underutilization of hospice services. Whether the concept of overly aggressive treatment represents a quality-of-care issue that is acceptable to all involved stakeholders is an open question.

Exploring caregivers' perspectives on improving care for older people at the end of life in Thailand

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 326-332
Author(s):  
Kanyanat Supaporn ◽  
Sang-arun Isaramalai ◽  
Wandee Suttharangsee
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Home Setting ◽  
Experience Of Care ◽  
Care Recipients ◽  
Care For Older People

Background: Older people in Thailand receive general medical and social care at the end of life, and many rarely access palliative services. In light of this, improving the quality of care for the ageing population relies on addressing the needs of family caregivers, who provide the majority of care in a home setting. Understanding caregivers' perspectives when caring for a friend or relative will help to improve the quality of care that they provide. Aim: To explore caregivers' perspectives on improving care for older people in Thailand in the palliative stage. Methods: A qualitative study using in-depth interviews and observation of 10 older people in the palliative stage and their caregivers was undertaken. Data were analysed using content analysis. Findings: Data analysis revealed three themes: caregivers cared to repay the older person's previous kindness, caregivers cared and changed their caregiving behaviour to minimise the older person's perception of being abandoned or being a burden, and to follow Thai ancestral traditions, so that the older person could die peacefully. Conclusion: This study provides specific instructions for those who provide care for older Thai people in the palliative stage. Finding ways to address caregivers' perspectives on improving care quality could enhance the experience of care recipients.

Technology visibility and consumer adoption of virtual fitting rooms (VFRs): a cross-cultural comparison of Chinese and Korean consumers

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-194
Author(s):  
Hanna Lee ◽  
Yingjiao Xu ◽  
Ailin Li
Keyword(s):  
Technology Adoption ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Comparison ◽  
Cultural Perspective ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Intention To Adopt ◽  
Cross Cultural Comparison ◽  
Different Cultures

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to determine the influence of technology visibility and subsequent perceptions of VFRs on consumers' intention to adopt VFRs in the online shopping context. A cross-cultural comparison was conducted to examine the different relationships among technology visibility, consumer perceptions and adoption intentions between the Chinese and Korean consumers.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 306 Chinese and 324 Korean consumers. The data were empirically analysed using structural equation modelling as well as multi-group comparisons.FindingsEmpirical results suggest significant influence of technology visibility on consumers' experiential and functional perceptions towards VFRs and accordingly on their adoption intention towards VFRs. Significant differences were also revealed between the Chinese and Korean consumers in their adoption behaviours towards VFRs.Research limitations/implicationsThe comparison was only conducted between the Chinese and Korean consumers. If two countries from two dramatically different cultures were compared, the results might be more significant.Practical implicationsAn important implication is that enhancement of visibility is crucial for technology adoption considering its importance in shaping consumers' perceptions towards the technology.Originality/valueThe paper empirically tested the importance of technology visibility in consumers' new technology adoption in the VFR context from a cross-cultural perspective.

scholarly journals Measurement of Quality of Care and Quality of Life at the End of Life

2002 ◽  
Vol 42 (suppl_3) ◽  
pp. 71-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia P. Tilden ◽  
Susan Tolle ◽  
Linda Drach ◽  
Susan Hickman
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
End Of Life

scholarly journals The Effect of End-of-Life Discussions on Perceived Quality of Care and Health Status Among Patients With COPD

CHEST Journal ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 142 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice M. Leung ◽  
Edmunds M. Udris ◽  
Jane Uman ◽  
David H. Au
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Health Status ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Perceived Quality ◽  
Perceived Quality Of Care

Factors associated with the quality of care at the end of life in children with cancer

2004 ◽  
Vol 22 (14_suppl) ◽  
pp. 8529-8529
Author(s):  
J. W. Mack ◽  
J. M. Hilden ◽  
J. Watterson ◽  
H. E. Grier ◽  
J. C. Weeks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Care ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Children With Cancer ◽  
Factors Associated

Figuring Out Children’s Number Representations

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
John N. Towse ◽  
Kevin Muldoon ◽  
Victoria Simms
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Difference ◽  
Number Line ◽  
Developmental Differences ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Place Value ◽  
Linguistic Differences ◽  
Number Representations ◽  
Mathematical Skill ◽  
Different Cultures

This chapter explores how numbers are represented amongst children in different cultures, and shows how this can enrich our understanding of mathematical cognition. It focuses on two specific, related topics: the representation of multi-digit numbers and the scaling of a mental number line. The authors consider whether linguistic differences in number structures directly influence children’s understanding of place value. They also consider whether cross-cultural and developmental differences in the quality of children’s mental representations of number are direct influences on mathematical skill. Together, these two topics allow us to consider evidence for the existence of cross-cultural difference in mathematics and investigate factors that might underlie them. The authors propose that whilst the interpretation of data needs to proceed cautiously, valuable insights can be gained from relevant research.

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