Meaningful relations; Patient and family carer encountering death at home (MeRela)

The aim is obtained through the following research questions:

1. How do the relationship networks construct the home as a site of end-of-life care?
2 .How are culture/religion expressed as a source of meaning in the relations of end-of-life care?
3. How are the rights and autonomy of the dying patients constructed within and through meaningful relationships?

The MeRela project will be implemented in three work packages each of which responds to one of the research questions:

WP1: The home as a place (social and care services), leader Prof. Marjaana Seppänen

WP2: Culture and religion (meaning in life, continuing bonds), leader Prof. Auli Vähäkangas

WP3: Rights, autonomy and ethics of care, leader Senior lecturer Anna Mäki-Petäjä-Leinonen

Interviews have been undertaken with persons with Advanced Disease (AD) in the last year of life, active family carers and bereaved carers (total 45). The expected results formulate a theory of relational grief and will develop empirical research on relationality in legal context. The MeRela project provides deeper understanding on the human experience when confronting death, dying, and bereavement. To be able to provide support and care for dying and carer it is crucial to identify personal meaning-systems and worldview.

The consortium is formed by the main research site at the Faculty of Theology at the University of Helsinki (UH) and the consortium partner, the Law School of the University of Eastern Finland (UEF). The project has received funding from the Kone Foundation, the Finnish Cultural Foundation and Oskari Huttunen Foundation.