Coming 'Home': Place bonding for parents accessing or considering hospice based respite

Abstract

Little literature examines the cognitive journey taken by parents considering/receiving hospice care for their child. A constructivist grounded theory study explored 38 parents' views of considering/using a children's hospice. Data analysed from focus groups and interviews identified three main concepts. The focus of this paper is identified as Coming 'Home'. This concept depicts the desire and the sense of searching that parents experienced in trying to find a place, other than their actual home, where their child could access a caring environment and their parents received some respite from caregiving. Despite there being a paradox associated with hospice-based respite, once they had crossed the threshold the parents bonded with the place and experienced rootedness and familiarity. The hospice became a place of living and belonging; a place where they could 'come home'.

Keywords: Children; Home; Hospice; Place bonding; Respite.