TY - JOUR
T1 - "My Son Is Still Walking"
T2 - Stages of Receptivity to Discussions of Advance Care Planning Among Parents of Sons With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
AU - Erby, Lori Hamby
AU - Rushton, Cynda
AU - Geller, Gail
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported by a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
Copyright:
Copyright 2011 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2006/6
Y1 - 2006/6
N2 - Duchenne muscular dystrophy is an inherited progressive neuromuscular disease that generally results in death by early adulthood. Because of its life-threatening nature, discussions of advance care planning are extremely relevant to families with affected children and adolescents. Seventeen parents of sons with Duchenne muscular dystrophy were interviewed about their attitudes, experiences, and the nature of their discussions about these topics. Parents showed a lack of familiarity with and experience communicating about advance care planning. They also discussed opportunities for communication that centered on transitional life events. Parents appeared to vacillate between hope for future treatments, avoidance of emotionally difficult aspects of the disease, and presence with the fullness of life's experiences. These data suggest a model for future research in which windows of opportunity for discussion may exist as sons are approaching significant transitional milestones and parents are able to see the world through a lens of "presence.".
AB - Duchenne muscular dystrophy is an inherited progressive neuromuscular disease that generally results in death by early adulthood. Because of its life-threatening nature, discussions of advance care planning are extremely relevant to families with affected children and adolescents. Seventeen parents of sons with Duchenne muscular dystrophy were interviewed about their attitudes, experiences, and the nature of their discussions about these topics. Parents showed a lack of familiarity with and experience communicating about advance care planning. They also discussed opportunities for communication that centered on transitional life events. Parents appeared to vacillate between hope for future treatments, avoidance of emotionally difficult aspects of the disease, and presence with the fullness of life's experiences. These data suggest a model for future research in which windows of opportunity for discussion may exist as sons are approaching significant transitional milestones and parents are able to see the world through a lens of "presence.".
KW - Duchenne muscular dystrophy
KW - advance care planning
KW - ethics
KW - parent-child relationship
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U2 - 10.1016/j.spen.2006.06.009
DO - 10.1016/j.spen.2006.06.009
M3 - Review article
C2 - 17027863
AN - SCOPUS:33749264062
SN - 1071-9091
VL - 13
SP - 132
EP - 140
JO - Seminars in Pediatric Neurology
JF - Seminars in Pediatric Neurology
IS - 2
ER -