British journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing)
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This article concentrates on elements of the Mental Capacity Act that may be glossed over when people are concentrating on the issue of living wills (advanced directives). New powers have been introduced under the Act and these do have the power to alter people's lives. ⋯ There is a new court - the Court of Protection, designed to settle disputes about the validity or applicability of a living will. With the powers of a High Court, the Act reveals the seriousness with which the law now regards the issues that surround the making of a living will and the granting or refusal to grant consent to treatment and care.
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Caring for people with dementia in an acute hospital setting presents a number of challenges. This article reports the findings of a study which explored nurses' experiences of caring for older people with dementia in a unit caring for older people within an acute hospital. ⋯ The findings revealed the structural inadequacies of the acute hospital as a dementia care environment and the resultant challenges and complexities of the care experience. Despite the identified challenges, nurses considered the specific needs of people with dementia and the environmental effects of the acute setting on their ability to meet identified needs.
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Providing a clean, comfortable bed and positioning a patient in the optimum posture for prevention of complications and to enable maximum independence are fundamental nursing skills. Bed-making is a daily routine that requires practical and technical skills. ⋯ In this article bed-making is described, as are positioning and re-positioning in relation to patients in bed, armchairs and wheelchairs. Infection control and moving and handling issues are also considered.