| Abstract: |
A progressive and advanced illness that requires palliative care inevitably needs the partner and/or family to adopt a caregiving role and eventually cope with the death of the patient. Sustaining the well-being of couples and families is a central activity within the philosophy of palliative care. Such a systemic approach can meet complex dynamics, never more so than when relational dysfunction challenges care provision. Special expertise may then be called upon to optimize functioning and strive to prevent morbidity reaching into bereavement. Progressive illness alters roles and responsibilities, challenges communication, derails plans and routines, and demands time and financial resources to adequately deal with the needs of the ill person. This chapter examines the impact of palliative and terminal illness on the family, addressing first of all the couple as one potential unit of care, and then the family as a whole, given the inescapable reach of a terminal illness. It reviews specific relationship mechanisms that shape and are shaped by the illness course and provides an overview of empirically tested interventions that target couples coping with advanced disease. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) |
