‘It all depends!’: A qualitative study of preferences for place of care and place of death in terminally ill patients and their family caregivers

Background:It is often suggested that terminally ill patients favour end-of-life care at home. Yet, it is unclear how these preferences are formed, if the process is similar for patients and family caregivers, and if there are discrepancies between preferences for place of care and place of death. Understanding these nuances is essential to support people in their decision-making and ultimately provide better care at the end-of-life.Aim:To gain an in-depth understanding of how terminally ill patients and their family caregivers make decisions about preferred place of care and place of death.Design:Semi-structured interviews with patients and family caregivers, which were analysed thematically using qualitative description.Setting/participants:A total of 17 participants (8 patients and 9 caregivers) recruited from an acute palliative care hospital ward, a sub-acute hospice unit, and a palliative homecare organisation in Melbourne, Australia.Results:The process of forming location preferences was shaped by ...