Childrenʼs perceptions of their siblingʼs death at home or hospital

Abstract

Nineteen children whose sibling participated in a home care program for dying children and 17 children whose sibling died in the hospital were interviewed 1 year after the death. Questions were designed to assess three time periods: the weeks immediately preceding their sibling's death, the time of the death itself, and the year following the death. Children who participated in home care described a significantly different experience than those whose sibling died in the hospital. The majority of home care children reported that they were prepared for the impending death, received consistent information and support from their parents, were involved in most activities concerning the dying child, were present for the death, and viewed their own involvement as the most important aspect of the experience. Non-home care children generally described themselves as having been inadequately prepared for the death, isolated from the dying child and their parents, unable to use their parents for support or information, unclear as to the circumstances of the death, and useless in terms of their own involvement. The relationship of these perceptions to subsequent adaptation is discussed and provides insights into the factors which facilitate more positive adjustment for children following their sibling's death at home.