Vulnerable persons, partners or warriors? How relatives perceive their roles in palliative care

Relatives play a very important role in palliative care. Whilst previous research has investigated this role from the perspective of health professionals, this article focuses on the perspectives of the relatives of palliative patients. The present paper aims to identify relatives' perceptions of their role with respect to their relationship to professionals and to describe their significance for satisfaction with palliative care. Content analysis of 23 guideline-based interviews with relatives in Switzerland identified three main role perceptions of relatives, namely as: "vulnerable persons", as "partners" or "warriors". The results indicate that relatives' satisfaction with palliative care depends on the role assigned to them by specialists in the care process. This article demonstrates that well-trained health personnel in the field of palliative care and a common understanding of the roles within the palliative care team are central to supporting relatives. These findings can help inform good collaboration between relatives and professionals in palliative care (e.g., general practitioners, nurses, specialized doctors, such as oncologists, and specialized nurses) and to encourage families to feel comfortable with the care their loved ones receive.