Skip Navigation


Age and Ageing Advance Access originally published online on September 20, 2004
Age and Ageing 2004 33(6):577-581; doi:10.1093/ageing/afh198
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
33/6/577    most recent
afh198v1
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (2)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Griffith, J. C.
Right arrow Articles by Wilkinson, T. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Griffith, J. C.
Right arrow Articles by Wilkinson, T. J.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Age and Ageing Vol. 33 No. 6 © British Geriatrics Society 2004; all rights reserved

Research Paper

Family meetings—a qualitative exploration of improving care planning with older people and their families

Jacqueline C. Griffith1, Margaret Brosnan1, Kathleen Lacey2, Sally Keeling3 and Tim J. Wilkinson3

1 Older Persons Health, Princess Margaret Hospital, Canterbury District Health Board, Christchurch, New Zealand
2 Rehua Marae, 79 Springfield Road, Christchurch, New Zealand
3 Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Christchurch, New Zealand

Address correspondence to: Tim Wilkinson, Princess Margaret Hospital, PO Box 800, Christchurch, New Zealand. Fax: (+64) 3 3377975. Email: tim.wilkinson{at}chmeds.ac.nz

Abstract

Objective: To explore the opinions of participants in family meetings to improve the quality of this important rehabilitation tool.

Design: Qualitative exploration of opinions and experience from staff, patients and families.

Setting: Tertiary teaching geriatric rehabilitation hospital.

Participants: Staff, families and patients who had recently participated in family meetings.

Methods: Focus groups, written surveys and individual semi-structured interviews.

Results: Three main themes were identified in the staff focus groups—preparation, staff skills and aftermath. Opinions from family members revealed a high level of satisfaction. The patient interviews revealed a worrying lack of informed consent and lack of clarity of the purpose. All three groups identified an unclear agenda as the underlying reason for unsatisfactory meetings. An unfavourable outcome decision (such as placement in institutional care) also influenced patient opinions on the process. The majority of patients found the family meeting to be helpful.

Conclusions: Family meetings are much appreciated by patients and their families. A model of the family meeting process is proposed to account for our research findings and as a means to improve meetings. Adequate preparation and consent, and skilled facilitation may improve the effectiveness of family meetings while maintaining the patient's sense of autonomy.

Keywords: family caregivers, group meetings, negotiating care, qualitative research, aged, discharge planning, patient participation

Received February 18, 2004; accepted in revised form June 11, 2004.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.