Palliative care home service. An explorative research on care workers in an integrated home-assisted center for palliative care

Abstract

The study aims at investigating the operators' impressions about the needs of patients and their families, their idea of palliative care, their moods and what they consider important in everyday clinical activity.

Specifically, the study involved a group of 20 operators in a home palliative care service. Data were obtained through a self-report questionnaire. The results find the operators' strong need to share their work experience. Moreover the whole team is reputed to be important. This work is considered  to be a source of human and professional gratification rather than economic. Finally, according to operators home palliative care involve a strong interplay between the operators' technical skills and their human resources.