Parenting while dying: Hospital-based supportive care of parents with advanced cancer

Abstract

Every year in Australia thousands of parents raising minor-aged children are dying from cancer. Parenting with incurable end-stage cancer (IESC) gives rise to unique multidimensional stressors that can greatly affect the psychosocial wellbeing of parents and their children. Research shows that parenting concerns are commonly experienced and can impact on healthcare decision-making. Surprisingly, however, parenting-related support needs are not routinely addressed as part of hospital-based healthcare services. This dissertation contributes the first Australian series of interconnected studies exploring hospital-based interdisciplinary service responses to patients’ and co-parents’ parenting s..