Articles: caregivers.
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BMJ Support Palliat Care · Mar 2021
ReviewImpact of medical assistance in dying (MAiD) on family caregivers.
Medical assistance in dying (MAiD) is a globally polarising topic which often sparks debate surrounding the ethical and moral dilemmas that arise with a life-ending intervention. To gain a better understanding of this intervention, it is important to explore the experience of those most intimately affected by MAiD. Family caregivers of those with a terminal illness are the backbone of the healthcare and support team, often providing a substantial amount of informal care while at the same time coping with their own distress and anticipatory grief. ⋯ Beyond the literature, challenges within both the clinical and research realms will be discussed and future directions will be offered. While MAiD is currently legal in only a small number of countries, a better understanding of the impact of MAiD will help inform policy and legislation as they are developed in other jurisdictions. Further, this article aims to inform future research and clinical interventions in order to better understand and support those seeking MAiD and their families.
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Health Technol Assess · Mar 2021
Randomized Controlled TrialAssistive technology and telecare to maintain independent living at home for people with dementia: the ATTILA RCT.
Assistive technology and telecare have been promoted to manage the risks associated with independent living for people with dementia, but there is limited evidence of their effectiveness. ⋯ Future work could examine whether or not improved assessment that is more personalised to an individual is beneficial.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2021
The #PalliativeCare conversation on Twitter: An analysis of trends, content and caregiver perspectives.
Palliative care is known to improve patients' quality of life, but oftentimes these conversations occur outside of the health-care setting. ⋯ The use of Twitter as a platform for palliative care conversations is growing rapidly. Twitter serves as a platform to facilitate #PalliativeCare conversation among patients, caregivers, physicians, and other healthcare providers.
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Background: Nearly 3 million U. S. family caregivers support someone with cancer. However, oncology clinic-based service lines that proactively screen, assess, and support cancer caregivers are nearly nonexistent. ⋯ The palliative care nurse performed 235 distress screenings and provided support that included 68 documented instances of emotional, problem-solving, and educational support, 41 nurse-facilitated communications with the neuro-oncology team about patient issues, and 24 referrals to UAB and community services (e.g., counseling). The most common problems caregivers wanted assistance with included: managing their relative's health condition and symptoms (51%), coordinating care/services (21%), and planning for the future/advance care planning (17%). Discussion: The FamilyStrong Program is among the first "real world" oncology clinic-based formal support services for advance cancer family caregivers.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Efficacy of a dyadic intervention to improve communication between patients with cancer and their caregivers: A randomized pilot trial.
Cancer-related communication is critical for patients' and caregivers' adaptation to illness. This randomized pilot study was conducted to test the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a specific dyadic intervention to improve communication. ⋯ Encouraging patients and caregivers to discuss personal cancer-related concerns may improve their ability to cope with the illness together.