Background: Little regional data exists on the distress of people nearing the end of their lives and their caregivers. Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the quality of life and the emotional and spiritual wellbeing of people at the end of life and the sources of distress for their primary caregivers in Gaborone, Botswana, in order to inform current and limited hospice resources and services. Design: This study employed a qualitative design. Setting/Subjects: Twenty-eight primary caregivers who cared for an adult who passed away fewer than 14 months prior to the interview date and were in the care of a non-governmental hospice (NGH) in Botswana were interviewed between June and August 2012. Measurements: Semi-structured interviews and the Quality of Death and Dying (QODD) questionnaire were used. Descriptive analysis and qualitative content analysis was performed. Results: Quality of life of decedents was poor. Emotional and spiritual distress persists at high rates even for those receiving support from an NGH. Caregiver distress arises from practical concerns, including lack of food, clothing, and shelter, and from emotional and spiritual concerns. Conclusions: The practical, emotional, and spiritual needs of people at the end of life in Botswana and their caregivers are not being fully met, with poor overall quality of life among the dying. More research is needed to explore how hospice and home health services and the services of spiritual leaders can be expanded to meet their needs.
","abstract_html":"<p>Background: Little regional data exists on the distress of people nearing the end of their lives and their caregivers. Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the quality of life and the emotional and spiritual wellbeing of people at the end of life and the sources of distress for their primary caregivers in Gaborone, Botswana, in order to inform current and limited hospice resources and services. Design: This study employed a qualitative design. Setting/Subjects: Twenty-eight primary caregivers who cared for an adult who passed away fewer than 14 months prior to the interview date and were in the care of a non-governmental hospice (NGH) in Botswana were interviewed between June and August 2012. Measurements: Semi-structured interviews and the Quality of Death and Dying (QODD) questionnaire were used. Descriptive analysis and qualitative content analysis was performed. Results: Quality of life of decedents was poor. Emotional and spiritual distress persists at high rates even for those receiving support from an NGH. Caregiver distress arises from practical concerns, including lack of food, clothing, and shelter, and from emotional and spiritual concerns. Conclusions: The practical, emotional, and spiritual needs of people at the end of life in Botswana and their caregivers are not being fully met, with poor overall quality of life among the dying. More research is needed to explore how hospice and home health services and the services of spiritual leaders can be expanded to meet their needs.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Philips, Psyche Linnea"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)","degree_level":"Open Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Yale University School of Nursing","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["J. Mark Lazenby"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:16:00Z","subjects":["botswana, caregiver burden, gaborone, hospice, palliative, QODD"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/ysndt/1009","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["J. Mark Lazenby"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Philips, Psyche Linnea"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Yale University School of Nursing"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["botswana, caregiver burden, gaborone, hospice, palliative, QODD"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/ysndt/1009"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Background: Little regional data exists on the distress of people nearing the end of their lives and their caregivers. Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the quality of life and the emotional and spiritual wellbeing of people at the end of life and the sources of distress for their primary caregivers in Gaborone, Botswana, in order to inform current and limited hospice resources and services. Design: This study employed a qualitative design. Setting/Subjects: Twenty-eight primary caregivers who cared for an adult who passed away fewer than 14 months prior to the interview date and were in the care of a non-governmental hospice (NGH) in Botswana were interviewed between June and August 2012. Measurements: Semi-structured interviews and the Quality of Death and Dying (QODD) questionnaire were used. Descriptive analysis and qualitative content analysis was performed. Results: Quality of life of decedents was poor. Emotional and spiritual distress persists at high rates even for those receiving support from an NGH. Caregiver distress arises from practical concerns, including lack of food, clothing, and shelter, and from emotional and spiritual concerns. Conclusions: The practical, emotional, and spiritual needs of people at the end of life in Botswana and their caregivers are not being fully met, with poor overall quality of life among the dying. More research is needed to explore how hospice and home health services and the services of spiritual leaders can be expanded to meet their needs.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Emotional And Spiritual Wellbeing Of Hospice Patients In Botswana And Sources Of Distress For Their Caregivers"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["J. Mark Lazenby"],"dc:creator":["Philips, Psyche Linnea"],"dc:description.abstract":["Background: Little regional data exists on the distress of people nearing the end of their lives and their caregivers. Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the quality of life and the emotional and spiritual wellbeing of people at the end of life and the sources of distress for their primary caregivers in Gaborone, Botswana, in order to inform current and limited hospice resources and services. Design: This study employed a qualitative design. Setting/Subjects: Twenty-eight primary caregivers who cared for an adult who passed away fewer than 14 months prior to the interview date and were in the care of a non-governmental hospice (NGH) in Botswana were interviewed between June and August 2012. Measurements: Semi-structured interviews and the Quality of Death and Dying (QODD) questionnaire were used. Descriptive analysis and qualitative content analysis was performed. Results: Quality of life of decedents was poor. Emotional and spiritual distress persists at high rates even for those receiving support from an NGH. Caregiver distress arises from practical concerns, including lack of food, clothing, and shelter, and from emotional and spiritual concerns. Conclusions: The practical, emotional, and spiritual needs of people at the end of life in Botswana and their caregivers are not being fully met, with poor overall quality of life among the dying. More research is needed to explore how hospice and home health services and the services of spiritual leaders can be expanded to meet their needs.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/ysndt/1009"],"dc:subject":["botswana, caregiver burden, gaborone, hospice, palliative, QODD"],"dc:title":["The Emotional And Spiritual Wellbeing Of Hospice Patients In Botswana And Sources Of Distress For Their Caregivers"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Yale University School of Nursing"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:16:00Z"}