This thesis "The Needs of Parents during End-of-Life Care for Terminally Ill Child" deals with the needs of families in which a child had died from a serious illness. The main goal of this thesis is to map the needs of parents caring for a terminally ill child during the course of the illness, the time of dying, and after the death of the child. The thesis also analyses the source of risk factors occurring while parents cope with care provision. The theoretical part of this thesis focuses on the loss of a child. The opening chapter is devoted to paediatric palliative care, including an assessment of the current situation in the Czech Republic. Based on the available sources, grief theories are described. Furthermore, the effect of the death of a child on the family is mapped, including the impact on the parent's relationship and the way parents cope with their grief. The last section of this part covers the possible reactions of parents to their loss. The empirical part detects the needs of parents caring for a terminally ill child. It maps the mechanisms which help parents to cope when caring for their child or dealing with their loss. It also identifies the risk factors influencing on the ability to cope with the care provision. The data were collected using qualitative research techniques. The...

The dissertation discusses theis sues of psycho-socio-spiritual care of midwives for a woman after perinatal loss and is mainly focused on interventions that help building an attitude towards perinatal loss (farewell rituals with a baby, collection of mementos) and their influence on grieving process of women after perinatal loss. The objective of the empirical part of the study was to thoroughly describe the experiences of Czech women with parting with a child after perinatal death and investigate the impact of this experience on the grieving process after the perinatal loss. Thesub-objective of the thesis was to validate the Czech version of the Perinatal Grief Scale. We used a mixed methods research design to fulfill the dissertation's objectives. The analyses of qualitative and quantitative data were performed separately and integrated during the interpretation of research findings. The study sample comprised of total 102 women who experienced perinatal loss. The detailed description of experience of Czech women with interventions related to parting with the deceased child was dominated by the decision making process of women about farewell rituals (seeing and holding the baby, receive mementos of it). The key factors that influenced the decision making process were classified as internal (the need of the woman to get to know her child, doubt and fear of contact) and external (emotional support, information provided and a relationship with the midwife/ attending doctor) during our research. The research proved a significant influence of the independent decision of the woman about the contact with her deceased child on the intensity of grief. Grief of women who decided on their own and were confident about their decision was statistically less severe than grief of women whose decision was made by the medical personnel instead. We were checking the intensity of grief of women after perinatal loss using the newly validated Perinatal Grief Scale instrument that can be used as a single factor scale in the Czech Republic. Reliability of the research instrument was established using Cronbach alpha coefficient (? = 0.9545) and indicated high reliability. The outcomes of the mixed research point towards necessary changes in the psycho-social care of midwives for women after perinatal loss.

This qualitative study focuses on the stories of a bereaved couple living with the death of two of their children. The effect of the children's death on the parents is explored, as well as the way in which the parents live with the death of their two sons. The stories of the bereaved couple show their courage and resilience in continuing with their lives, maintaining their bond with their deceased sons and trying to make meaning of their death. As a study in practical theology and pastoral care one aim of this study was to help transform the lives of the parents for the better. In one of the chapters of the research report a study of some literature on bereavement and the death of children is presented. Dominant cultural discourses about death, bereavement, grief and mourning are discussed, as well as voices protesting against these discourses. / Practical Theology / M.Th. (Pastoral Therapy)

This qualitative study focuses on the stories of a bereaved couple living with the death of two of their children. The effect of the children's death on the parents is explored, as well as the way in which the parents live with the death of their two sons. The stories of the bereaved couple show their courage and resilience in continuing with their lives, maintaining their bond with their deceased sons and trying to make meaning of their death. As a study in practical theology and pastoral care one aim of this study was to help transform the lives of the parents for the better. In one of the chapters of the research report a study of some literature on bereavement and the death of children is presented. Dominant cultural discourses about death, bereavement, grief and mourning are discussed, as well as voices protesting against these discourses. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M.Th. (Pastoral Therapy)