Abstract
Parents who provide care for their child receiving palliative/hospice care at home need an enormous amount of inner strength to carry on with such care. The purposes of this study were (1) to identify the strengths of primary parent caregivers of children receiving in-home hospice/palliative care and (2) to assess if the Haley Transcultural Strengths Assessment Interview Guide increases parent's realization of the importance and utilization of their strengths. This descriptive study was conducted using a grounded theory design using a qualitative framework (Interview Guide assessing where parents find strength) and a quantitative component (Personal Strength Rating Scale-used before and after interview). Constant comparative analysis described by Glaser and Strauss was used to identify the themes/attributes of strength. Participants of this study were parents caring for their child at home, who were recruited from TrinityKids Care in California. Eleven themes emerged from the data, with a subtheme of "the child" who was dying. Spirituality emerged as the most important strength, with positive attitude and finding meaning rating second. Results revealed the key strengths of parent caregivers, and the Strengths Guide was found to be an effective intervention for palliative/hospice care providers to assist parents to build on their strengths.