Experiencing place identity and place belongingness at a children’s hospice: Parents’ perspectives

Date

2020-03-27

Advisors

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Sage

Type

Article

Peer reviewed

Yes

Abstract

Children’s hospices are key players in the provision of palliative care services for families with children with life-limiting conditions (LLCs). However, evidence suggests that some of the negative terminology/language which surrounds the notions of palliative and hospice care may contribute to the lack of uptake of hospice services by families. This article reports two elements of place bonding: parents’ experiences of place identity and place belongingness at a children’s hospice in a region in England. Underpinned by a constructivist grounded theory methodology, focus groups were undertaken with 24 parents of children with LLCs accessing a children’s hospice. Despite initial reservations associated with the identity of the hospice, parents described how and why their view changed and therefore consequently how they were able to experience the hospice differently. This article demonstrates how parents’ views of the identity of the hospice change and how the hospice becomes a place where parents experience a sense of belongingness.

Description

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.

Keywords

Children’s hospice, place belongingness, Place identity

Citation

Dunbar, H. and Carter, B. (2020) Experiencing place identity and place belongingness at a children's hospice: parents' perspectives. Journal of Child Health Care March 2020

Rights

Research Institute