Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2015
ReviewDignity and patient-centred care for people with palliative care needs in the acute hospital setting: A systematic review.
A core concept behind patient-centred approaches is the need to treat people with, and preserve, dignity in care settings. People receiving palliative care are one group who may have particularly sensitive needs in terms of their condition, symptoms and life expectancy. Dignity is more likely to be violated in hospital settings. Given the high percentage of people with palliative care needs who are admitted to hospital during their last year of life, the provision of dignity enhancing and preserving care in that setting is of vital importance. ⋯ Acute hospital staff require adequate training, including symptom control, and the correct environment in which to deliver dignified and person-centred end-of-life care. Specific models/approaches to care can be beneficial, if adequate training regarding implementation is given. The needs of family members also require consideration, particularly following bereavement.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2015
Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in dementia: A qualitative study of the views of former dementia carers.
Despite media and academic interest on assisted dying in dementia, little is known of the views of those directly affected. ⋯ Health workers should be mindful of the holistic experience of dementia at the end of life. The psychological and existential aspects of suffering should be addressed, as well as relief of physical pain. Further research is required.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2015
Chronically homeless persons' participation in an advance directive intervention: A cohort study.
Chronically homeless individuals have high rates of hospitalization and death, and they may benefit from the completion of advance directives. ⋯ A counselor-guided intervention can achieve a high rate of advance directive completion among chronically homeless persons. Most participants expressed a preference to receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the event of a cardiorespiratory arrest.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2015
Experiences of burden, needs, rewards and resilience in family caregivers of people living with Motor Neurone Disease/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A secondary thematic analysis of qualitative interviews.
Family caregivers of people with Motor Neurone Disease/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, an incurable, mostly rapidly fatal neurodegenerative disease, face many challenges. Although there is considerable research on caregiver burden in Motor Neurone Disease/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, there is less knowledge of the positive aspects of caring. ⋯ Coping is a non-linear process, oscillating between different states of mind. The proposed model could enable clinicians to better understand the caregiver experience, help family caregivers foster resilience and identify rewards, and develop appropriate individualised caregiver support plans.