Meanings of dying at home for Chinese patients in Taiwan with terminal cancer - A literature review

To maintain dignity, patients with terminal cancer must be able to do thing s in their own way, to make their own decisions, and to preside over their own dying. Among the tasks considered essential for patients with terminal cancer is deciding where they prefer to die. The actual place of death has been recognized in hospice care as indicating quality of care. Approximatel y two-thirds of patients with cancer, when asked about the preferred place of death, say they wish to die in their own homes. Patients with terminal c ancer dying at home may find physical and emotional comfort there. Home is a place where people may feel safety and a sense of belonging. In dying at home, patients With terminal cancer also may have a greater chance to contr ol their environment, more autonomy and privacy, and a sense of normality. In this article, special cultural meaning of dying at home for the Chinese patient and the family is reviewed. It is essential for health care profess ionals to understand Chinese cultural beliefs and values related to dying a t home in order to provide culturally sensitive care for Chinese dying pati ents and their families and to enhance their sense of control over the unkn own process of dying.