Table 2.
Characteristics of family members and the deceased
| Family member characteristics | N = 35 | Metrics |
|---|---|---|
| Age in years M ± SD | 33 | 62.9 ± 12.6 |
| Female gender [yes] n (%) | 35 | 16 (45.7) |
| Religionn (%) | 34 | |
| Catholic | 25 (73.5) | |
| Undenominational | 9 (26.5) | |
| Birthplace in Middle-Europen (%) | 35 | 29 (82.9) |
| Highest degreen (%) | 35 | |
| Vocational training | 17 (48.6) | |
| Diploma | 10 (28.6) | |
| University degree (≥ Bachelors’ Degree) | 8 (22.9) | |
| Work statusn (%) | 33 | |
| Employed | 13 (39.4) | |
| Retired | 20 (60.6) | |
| Employment level [0-100%] M ± SD | 13 | 89.2 ± 18.9 |
| Co-habiting with deceasedn (%) | 35 | 28 (80.0) |
| Relation to deceased: the answering family member is…n (%) | 35 | |
| Spouse / partner | 27 (77.1) | |
| Daughter / son | 6 (17.1) | |
| Mother / father | 1 (2.9) | |
| Sister / brother | 1 (2.9) | |
| Caregiver during illness trajectory [yes] n (%) | 35 | 33 (94.3) |
| Time since loss in months M ± SD | 35 | 3.5 ± 1.3 |
| Death was expected by answering family member [yes] n (%) | 35 | 29 (92.9) |
| Present at time of death [yes] n (%) | 35 | 30 (85.7) |
| Own health problems [yes] n (%) | 34 | 3 (8.8) |
| Importance of spirituality in own life [0-100] M ± SD | 35 | 35.9 ± 28.7 |
| Characteristics of the deceased | n | Metrics |
| Age in years M ± SD | 35 | 70.1 ± 9.5 |
| Female gender [yes] n (%) | 35 | 19 (54.3) |
| Living situationn (%) | 35 | |
| Alone | 3 (8.6) | |
| Spouse / partner | 26 (74.3) | |
| Family (> 2 persons) | 6 (17.1) | |
| Has children [yes] n (%) | 35 | 28 (71.4) |
| Time between diagnosis and death in years M ± SD | 34 | 5.3 ± 5.0 |
| Primary place of care (last month) n (%) | 30 | |
| Health institution1 | 8 (26.7) | |
| Home care1 | 22 (73.3) | |
| Place of deathn (%) | 35 | |
| Health institution2 | 13 (37.1) | |
| Home care2 | 22 (62.9) | |
| Death at preferred place [yes] n (%) | 35 | 27 (77.1) |
Note. M = mean, SD = standard deviation
1 Place of care: health institution: hospital (n = 4), hospice (n = 1), care home (n = 3); home care: own home (n = 21), family members’ home (n = 1)
2 Place of death: health institution: hospital (n = 7), hospice (n = 2), care home (n = 4); home care: own care (n = 21), family members’ home (n = 1)