This volume presents a series of case narratives, following individual patients and families throughout the course of illness and death in the context of hospice and palliative care. Using a variety of qualitative research methods, including participant-observation, interviews, and journal-keeping, the experiences, perceptions, and feelings of the patient, the family and a range of caregivers are recorded, providing the reader with rich, multi-textured narratives. Going beyond conventional case reports in Medicine, typically concentrating on symptoms and treatment, these narratives depict how individuals find personal meaning in illness, and how this influences the experience and outcome of care.
