Qualitative study of Chinese widows in Hong Kong: Insights for psycho-social care in hospice settings

Abstract

In an exploratory, phenomenological study of seven Chinese widows in Hong Kong, five major themes are identified: relationship with the deceased, relationship with others, grief reactions, coping and emotional expression. This paper focuses on the first theme: the widows' relationship with the deceased husband along a timeline from the time of diagnosis to after death. The experiences in the final days with the deceased were frequently referred to when the informants talked about this theme. This paper aims to give added voice, based on the experience of Chinese widows, to the possible role of hospice and palliative care on influencing the bereavement experience. Issues of awareness and acceptance of death, the supportive environment and support for family carers, the moment of death, creation of legacies, and sensitivity towards cultural embedded practices, are discussed. It is hoped that the experiences of these bereaved widows will stimulate new research to elucidate and verify the findings reported in this paper. © 2006 Edward Arnold (Publishers) Ltd.