Hospice Caregivers' Experiences With Pain Management: “I'm Not a Doctor, and I Don't Know if I Helped Her Go Faster or Slower”

These findings should raise concern among hospice professionals, whose commitment is to the management of pain, including emotional pain, with a focus on both the patient and the family as a unit of care. These data clearly suggest that hospice providers have an opportunity to be sensitive to perceptions held by caregivers regarding pain management. Effective planning for pain control must incorporate the values and beliefs not only of each patient but also of the family caregiver.