Journal of palliative medicine
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To promote better care at the end stage of life in long-term care facilities, a culturally appropriate tool for identifying residents at the end of life is crucial. ⋯ The IRD scale is a promising tool for identifying nursing home residents at increased risk of death. We recommend the tool to be incorporated into the care protocol of long-term care facilities in Hong Kong.
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Community-based palliative care (CBPC) plays an integral role in addressing the complex care needs of older adults with serious chronic illnesses, but is premised on effective communication and collaboration between primary care providers (PCPs) and the providers of specialty palliative care (SPC). Optimal strategies to achieve the goal of coordinated care are ill-defined. ⋯ Our findings suggest that processes are needed that promote communication, including structured communication strategies between PCPs and SPC providers, clarification of role boundaries, enrichment of nonspecialty providers' competence in GPC, and enhanced access to CBPC.