Julie talked to eight adults with advanced cancer living in the Rocky Mountains, Canada. The 33 in-depth interviews took place over a 19 month period. They explored how the people had adapted their daily activities so they could continue participating in everyday life, such as working or spending time with family.
She found that people living with advanced cancer try to continue doing what is important to them, albeit in a modified form. This is despite the challenge of unrelenting change and loss as death approaches.
Adapting to functional decline is an active, ongoing process. It occurs through continued engagement in activities. Palliative rehabilitation has a part to play in enabling participation in everyday life.
Paper: Brose JM, Willis E and Morgan DD (2023). The intentional pursuit of everyday life while dying: A longitudinal qualitative study of working-aged adults living with advanced cancer. Palliative Medicine.