"This is just where I live": A Situational Analysis of Rural End-of-Life Caregiving

Authors

  • Michele J McIntosh Trent University
  • Allison M Williams McMaster University
  • Jeanette A Eby McMaster University
  • Wendy Duggleby University of Alberty
  • Beverly D Leipert University of Western Ontario

Abstract

Keating, 2001; Kaden & MacDonald, 1990; MacLean, Cairn, & Sellick, 1998). Women caring for dying persons at the end-of-life have been identified in the literature as those most likely to experience negative physical and mental health outcomes such as declines in health status, depression and anxiety from caregiver burden (Cranwick, 1997). Family caregivers, who do not have access to palliative services including counselling and bereavement services, such as those in rural areas, are in need of more support than other populations (Wilson et al., 2006). Living in rural/remote areas presents challenges for dying persons and their families, such as reduced and difficult access to needed services (Kelley, Sellick & Linkewich, 2003; McConigley, Kristjanson & Nikolette, 2000; Wilson et al., 2009). Additional social and community services are often found only in distant larger communities (Wilson et al., 2006; World Health Organization, 2007). Researchers have noted the paucity of attention to place, particularly rural and 2011). This article contributes to the remedy of this gap; our research study aimed to better understand female provided end-of-life care-giving in rural and remote Ontario communities. In particular, we were interested in the extent to which geography intersects with gender; that is, to what extent (if any) does rural location impact end-of-life care-giving? Keywords: rural, palliative care, qualitative research

Author Biographies

Michele J McIntosh, Trent University

Michele J. McIntosh, PhD, RN, is an assistant professor at Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.

Allison M Williams, McMaster University

Allison M. Williams, PhD, is a Canadian Institute for Health Research ECHO/IGH Mid-Career Scientist and associate professor of geography at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Jeanette A Eby, McMaster University

Jeanette Eby is a master’s candidate in the school of geography, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Wendy Duggleby, University of Alberty

Wendy Duggleby is a professor and endowed nursing research chair in aging and quality of life at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta.

Beverly D Leipert, University of Western Ontario

Beverly Leipert is associate professor at the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.

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Published

2013-04-04