When Clients are Dying: Occupational Therapists’ Perspectives

Abstract

Occupational therapists working with people who are terminally ill potentially face a contradiction between the principles and assumptions of rehabilitation-oriented practice and the needs and experiences of clients who are dying. This research investigated experiences of occupational therapists working with clients who are terminally ill to examine if such a contradiction existed and, if so, how it was managed in daily practice. Ten occupational therapists working with people who are terminally ill shared their perspectives through in-depth interview and participant observation. Data analysis followed grounded theory procedures. Nine conceptual categories were generated from the data: Making a Difference, Referral to Occupational Therapy, Assessing the Situation, Goal Setting, Building Against Loss, “Normality Within a Changed Reality,” Client Control, Supported and Safe Care, and Closure. Analysis of relationships between categories resulted in the development of a conceptual framework of occupational therapy practice with people who are terminally ill. The core phenomenon of the framework emerged as Affirming Life: Preparing for Death. Results indicate that occupational therapists manage this contradiction between their rehabilitation training and their work with people who are dying by reframing the process and outcomes of practice to acknowledge clients’ dual states of living and dying.