Experiences of Bereaved Family Members Receiving Commemorative Paintings

Key Points Question What potential role do personalized paintings that are created to honor the lives of deceased patients in the intensive care unit have for grieving family members, and how might they influence family members’ experiences with bereavement? Findings In this qualitative study, families described personalized paintings as representing a legacy of their loved one. Participants indicated that the paintings were symbolic of the care their loved one received, validated the sentiment that the patient was remembered, and helped the families feel less alone during their time of grief. Meaning The creation of personalized patient paintings may foster postmortem connections between family members and clinicians and may ease bereavement following a death in the intensive care unit setting.