Cancer patients who prefer to die at home. Characterizations of municipalities with several or few occurrences of home deaths

This article presents a descriptive study based on quantitative and qualitative methods. We wished to determine factors that promote or restrict home deaths. The Norwegian Central Bureau of Statistics released non-identifiable data for the time period 1990-1994 for all municipalities in Norway. Relevant health and social data from the Norwegian Social Science Data Service for the 24 municipalities, which had more than 20% or less than 10% of the cancer patients dying in their own homes, were analysed. Key persons in the home care teams were interviewed. There were few occurrences of home deaths in municipalities with a local hospital, good capacity in nursing homes or a larger percentage of one-person households. Indicators for several occurrences of home deaths were openness, good co-operation with physicians, and a stable, flexible staff. In addition, the patient had to have a strong desire to die at home. Finally, the employees had to be professionally confident and willing to go beyond the prescribed shift hours.