The liminality of palliative care

Abstract

Introduction: This paper discusses the application of the anthropological concept of liminality to narratives of New Zealanders living in the community with life threatening conditions, both malignant and non-malignant. Method: This qualitative research aimed to explore the ways in which people diagnosed with life-threatening conditions managed their life world. Using a narrative approach, 13 participants, eight spousal caregivers, three adult children, three specialists, one general practitioner and one psychotherapist were interviewed. Analysis was thematic and interpretive within a phenomenological framework. Conclusion: Receiving a diagnosis with a poor prognosis heralded significant life changes for patients and their families and precipitated a transition from an identity as a productive member of society and community participant to that of patient living with an uncertain future. Conceptualising end of life care in terms of liminality offers a powerful framework for understanding the experiences and challenges faced by people with life threatening conditions and their families.