Comfort or discomfort for patients in palliative home care? - a pilot study

Introduction. Ensuring comfort in patients in palliative home care is a difficult task. Care, in which patient's comfort is fundamental, was first introduced by Katharine Kolcaba.Aim. Assessing comfort levels of patients in palliative home care, including selected determinants of this condition.Material and methods. The study included 55 palliative care patients in home settings, receiving services provided by the home palliative care team and a group of 63 informal caregivers providing home care. A pilot study, by diagnostic survey, using a survey questionnaire with the PAPI technique was conducted among patients in palliative care treated in home-based settings in the first half of 2022.Results. There was a statistically significant relationship between satisfaction with care, and the level of comfort provided (p<0.05). Those who strongly indicated satisfaction were characterized by significantly higher levels of comfort provided (M=35.43; SD=5.32 vs. M=33.38; SD=4.63), compared to other patients.Conclusions. There is a correlation between the level of comfort perceived by patients, and methods of providing comfort to patients in home settings used by informal caregivers. Individuals, who are characterized by a higher feeling of comfort provision, at the same time achieve higher degree of comfort provided by the caregiver.