The complex relationship between household income of family caregivers, access to palliative care services and place of death: A national household population survey

Background:Previous work shows that more affluent patients with cancer are more likely to die at home, whereas those dying from non-cancer conditions are more likely to die in hospital. Family caregivers are an important factor in determining place of death.Aim:To investigate associations between family caregivers’ household income, patients’ access to specialist palliative care and place of patients’ death, by level of personal end-of-life care.Design:A cross-sectional community household population survey.Setting and participants:Respondents to the Household Survey for England.Results:One-third of 1265 bereaved respondents had provided personal end-of-life care (caregivers) (30%). Just over half (55%) of decedents accessed palliative care services and 15% died in a hospice. Place of death and access to palliative care were strongly related (p < 0.001). Palliative care services reduced the proportion of deaths in hospital (p < 0.001), and decedents accessing palliative care were more likely to die at hom...