Summary information

Study title

Life Before Death, 1987

Creator

Seale, C., Institute for Social Studies in Medical Care

Cartwright, A., Institute for Social Studies in Medical Care

Study number / PID

2985 (UKDA)

10.5255/UKDA-SN-2985-1 (DOI)

Data access

Restricted

Series

Not available

Abstract

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

1. To describe the last year in the lives of a random sample of adults dying in 1987.
2. To make comparisons with an earlier study* and identify change in the nature and availability of care and in the attitudes and expectations of lay and professional carers.
3. To make some assessment of the influence of the hospice movement on these changes.
4. To describe in more detail than the previous 1969 study, the institutional care of people in the year preceeding their death.
5. To determine the experience and views of the doctors and nurses involved in the care of these people in the last year of their lives.
6. To describe the care and support given to close relatives both after and before the death.
*An earlier study <i>Life Before Death, 1969</i> is held at the Data Archive as Study No. 393.
Main Topics:

Methodological issues in studying life before death; the roles of professionals, hospitals, hospices, residential and nursing homes, and day centres in caring for the dying; the balance of care; hospice deaths and cancer deaths; experiences of those who died and those who cared for them; changes since 1969.
Characteristics of the general practitioners were obtained from DHSS data.

Morbidity and mortalityHealth care services and policies

ACCIDENTSADVICEAGEANXIETYATTITUDESBUILDING MAINTENANCECANCERCARE IN THE COMMUNITYCARE OF DEPENDANTSCARE OF THE DISABLEDCARE OF THE ELDERLYCAUSES OF DEATH

Data collection period

01/01/1988 - 01/01/1989

Country

England

Time dimension

Follow-up to cross-sectional study

Analysis unit

Individuals

National

Carers

General practitioners

Medical consultants

Nurses

Patients

Terminally ill

Universe

People who died in 1987 in England, via the views and experiences of: their relatives or others who knew them; their general practitioners; their consultants; their community nurses.

Sampling procedure

One-stage stratified or systematic random sample

Local authority areas (or combinations for small numbers of deaths) chosen after stratification into 3 groups:
(1) with no hospice or hospice service
(2) hospice service but no beds
(3) hospice service with beds.
For further details see documentation.

Kind of data

Not available

Data collection mode

Face-to-face interview

Telephone interview

Postal survey

Questionnaire interview with person who knew most about those who died; postal questionnaire to general practitioners and consultants about views and experiences; Face to face, postal and telephone interviewing was used for community nurses.

Publisher

UK Data Service

Publication year

1993

Terms of data access

The Data Collection is available to UK Data Service registered users subject to the End User Licence Agreement.

Commercial use of the data requires approval from the data owner or their nominee. The UK Data Service will contact you.

Seale, C. (1992) 'Community care for the dying', Nursing Times, 15-21
Seale, C. (1991) 'Communication and awareness about death :: a study of a random sample of dying people', Social Science and Medicine, 943-952
Seale, C. and Cartwright, A. (1990) The natural history of a survey :: an account of the methodological issues encountered in a study of life before death [Research report], London: King Edward's Hospital Fund.
Cartwright, A. (1992) 'Social class differences in health and care in the year before death', Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 54-57
Seale, C. (1991) 'Death from cancer and death from other causes :: the relevance of the hospice approach', Palliative Medicine, 12-19
Cartwright, A. (1990) The role of the general practitioner in caring for people in the last year of their lives [Research report], London: King Edward's Hospital Fund.
Cartwright, A. (1991) 'The relationship between general practitioners, hospital consultants and community nurses when caring for people in the last year of their lives', Family Practice, 350-355
Cartwright, A. (1991) 'Is religion a help around the time of death?', Public Health, 79-87
Cartwright, A. (1991) 'The balance of care for the dying between hospitals and the community :: the perceptions of general practitioners, hospital consultants, community nurses and relatives', British Journal of General Practice, 271-274
Seale, C. (1991) 'A comparison of hospice and conventional care', Social Science and Medicine, 147-152
Cartwright, A. (1991) 'The role of residential and nursing homes in the last year of people's lives', British Journal of Social Work, 627-645
Seale, C. (1990) 'Caring for people who die :', Ageing and Society, 413-428
Cartwright, A. (1992) 'Changes in the year before death 1969-87', Nursing Times, 51
Farrow, G. (1992) 'The role of day centres in caring for people in the final year of their lives', Ageing and Society, 313-327
Cartwright, A. (1991) 'Changes in life and care in the year before death, 1969-1987', Journal of Public Health, 81-87
Seale, C. (1992) 'Community nurses and the care of the dying', Social Science and Medicine, 375-382
Seale, C. (1989) 'What happens in hospices :: a review of research evidence', Social Science and Medicine, 551-559
Cartwright, A. (1991) 'The role of hospitals in caring for the people in the last year of their lives', Age and Ageing, 271-274