Individuals with an intellectual disability are vulnerable to having end-of-life decisions made for them merely due to the presence of a disability. As a result, decisions made by others may not reflect the exact wishes of the individual. Please contact the library to request a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
In the latest of a series of case studies focusing on end-of-life care training in trusts, hear from Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust on how it raised awareness of the end-of-life care agenda across the organisation.
This guidance is a collection of top tips gathered from trusts who have shared their advice on raising awareness of end-of-life care and embedding training within their organisation.
Each year, around half a million people die in England and this number is set to rise. There is a clear need for all health and care workers, not just specialist teams, to receive the skills and education to confidently and safely deliver high-quality care that meets the needs of patients, and those closest to them, in their last few months, weeks and days of life.
Decision-making, when providing care and treatment for a person with dementia at the end of life, can be complex and challenging. There is a lack of guidance available to support practitioners and family carers, and even those experienced in end of life dementia care report a lack of confidence in decision-making. It is thought that the use of heuristics (rules of thumb) may aid decision-making. The aim of this study is to identify whether heuristics are used in end of life dementia care, and if so, to identify the context in which they are being used.
The author reflects on the results of the National Survey off Bereaved People. Topics covered include the percentage of respondents who rated the overall quality of end-of-life care for their relative as outstanding, the lower percentage of respondents who evaluated hospital case as outstanding and the reasons for the stagnation in the survey results. Also mentioned is the commitment to promote high-quality care for adults at the end of their life. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
Care home residents in England have variable access to health care services. There is currently no coherent policy or consensus about the best arrangements to meet these needs. The purpose of this review was to explore the evidence for how different service delivery models for care home residents support and/or improve wellbeing and health-related outcomes in older people living and dying in care homes.
On 22 September we’re hosting a one-day conference – Innovative approaches to end-of-life care – highlighting some of the challenges, but also celebrating national and local improvement programmes.
Discover how applying a flexible approach to training can have a positive impact on patient care, in a new case study from Kent Community Health NHS Trust.
By delivering more than 850 training sessions to staff in dispersed locations, the trust has:
improved the end-of-life care service being delivered to patients;
increased staff confidence in having end-of-life care conversations.
The Department of Health have published a response to an independent review on choice in end of life care.
It details the six commitments that the government has made to the public to end variation in end of life care across the health system by 2020
Draft guidance from NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) outlines what the best palliative care for children looks like.
It emphasises the need for infants, children and young people to be treated as individuals and highlights the importance of children and their families being involved in decisions about care.
‘Enhanced Supportive Care’ was developed by specialists at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, and will now be used by at least 21 more cancer centres across England, supported by incentives from NHS England.
The initiative encourages care teams to address more fully the needs of cancer patients – in particular, preventing and managing the adverse physical and psychological effects of cancer and its treatment.
In the latest of a series of blogs on Personal Health Budgets, NHS England’s Director of Personalisation and Choice explains why the choice agenda is so important for disabled people and those with long term conditions – whether it’s the small everyday lifestyle decisions we make, or the crucial conversations when people are facing the end of their life
Come and visit our first pop-up library at Severn Fields, Shrewsbury 19th July 11.00am-3.00pm. Join the library, borrow and return books, get help finding information and evidence, set up an Athens account, find out what the library can do for you and your team.
Web Scan: The Care Quality Commission has published a report examining people’s experiences of end of life care in England. It highlights examples of good practice but shows that the quality of care for some people is still not good enough. The document states that people receive better care when commissioners and services take an equality-led approach and respond to individuals’ needs. It makes recommendations for commissioners, has a good practice case studies document and detailed findings on the ten categories of people studied. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details for full text. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you requesting.
News: Nurses could play a pivotal role in reducing ‘invasive and potentially harmful’ treatments experienced by older people during their last weeks of life, a leading cancer nurse has said. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
Commentary on:
Gomes B, Calanzani N, Koffman J, et al. Is dying in hospital better than home in incurable cancer and what factors influence this? A population-based study. BMC Med 2015;13:235.
Implications for practice and research
The findings of this study indicate that discussions about the patient's and relatives' preference relating to place of death, information about incurability and providing care at home including the possibility of respite for caregivers, increase the probability of home death.
Prospective studies including thorough multidimensional needs assessment are warranted along with randomised trials with interventions containing timely information of incurability and/or preference discussions. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
Commentary on:
Gott M, Allen R, Moeke-Maxwell T, et al. ‘No matter what the cost’: a qualitative study of the financial costs faced by family and whānau caregivers within a palliative care context. Palliative Med 2015;29:518–528.
Implications for practice and research
Healthcare providers should consider the range and significance of unsubsidised costs incurred by family caregivers of patients with palliative care needs.
Future research needs to describe the extent and variation of costs borne by family caregivers of palliative care patients. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
The aim of the present study was to gain insight into the living and care situation in advanced behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), to describe symptoms and findings in advanced bvFTD, and to evaluate somatic comorbidities and circumstances of death. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
This report details the 6 commitments that the government has made to the public to end variation in end of life care across the health system by 2020.