Hospice philosophy, practice, and the construction of personhood among British hospice patients

This ethnographic study examines the role hospice staff play in supporting patients as full adult persons. The UK is the birthplace of the modern hospice movement; this research was conducted there in order to ethnographically observe hospice care in its original cultural context. Specifically, the research was conducted at two hospice facilities in the United Kingdom from 2000 to 2002. Both facilities had in-patient as well as day therapy units and offered respite care. Participant observation and face-to-face interviews were used to collect data from 38 staff and patient participants. Practice theory and discourse analysis were used to analyze and interpret these data. The hospice philosophy encourages an approach to end-of-life care that allows patients to live with their illnesses. This approach is significant because it supports the personhood of those experiencing terminal illnesses, people whose personhood is frequently called into question. This study documents the ways that staff support patient personhood, the implications for patient care, and changing perceptions of social identity among day care hospice patients.