Background The sense of home of nursing home residents is a multifactorial phenomenon which is important for the quality of living. This purpose of this study is to investigate the factors influencing the sense of home of older adults residing in the nursing home from the perspective of residents, relatives …

Hospital care and communication tend to be focused on the individual patient, and decision making is typically based on the principle of individual autonomy. It can be questioned whether this approach is adequate when a patient is terminally ill.

BACKGROUND: Many intensive care unit survivors (ICU) are confronted with undesirable and long-lasting impairments in physical, cognitive, and mental health, but not only patients are at risk of developing this post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). Family members can experience symptoms of depression, …

Purpose Palliative care improves quality of life of patients and relatives facing life-threatening illnesses; it places their needs central (WHO, 2015). It is however unknown if facility design in Dutch hospice care facilities fulfils these needs. This paper aims to establish if services and spaces of …

Since 2011, over 500 Belgian nationals have become radicalised and left Belgium for a Jihadist conflict zone. The Brussel bombings, on the 22nd of March 2016 were carried out by two Belgian nationals who were also returning Jihadists. This dissertation explores whether Belgium can improve its current …

Nursing home residents with dementia face challenges in adapting to a new living environment and feeling at home. Due to communicative limitations, people with dementia after often left out of design processes. The aim of this study is to investigate the housing needs in relation to the interior design …

This thesis provides a report on research aimed at enhancing treatment of patients with bipolar disorder. We describe various aspects of treatment of bipolar disorder. The central study reported in this thesis is an effect study of a multicomponent intervention, Collaborative Care. Chapter 1 describes …

When patients die relatives and healthcare professionals may appreciate the quality of the dying phase differently, but comparisons are rare. In a cross-sectional study (June 2009–July 2012) the experiences of bereaved relatives, physicians, and nurses concerning the quality of dying in a large Dutch …

Background: To improve the quality of end-of-life care, hospitals increasingly appoint palliative care nurse champions.

Purpose: Self-management has become an important concept in stroke rehabilitation; however, the way that people post-stroke reflect on the concept of self-management has not yet been studied. This qualitative study explored the reflections of persons post-stroke on self-management, readiness and needs …