Committed to carers: Supporting carers of people at the end of life

Source: Marie Curie Cancer Care

Follow this link for fulltext.

Date of publication: March 2012

Publication type: Report

In a nutshell: This comprehensive report includes chapters on:

• the support provided by Marie Curie
• the impact on carers of caring for someone who is dying
• access to information and advice – including financial support
• place of care and place of death – home, hospice or hospital and achieving preferred place of death
• bereavement – including practical things and bereavement support
• summary and recommendations.

Length of publication: 24 pages

Anticipatory care planning and integration: A primary care pilot study aimed at reducing unplanned hospitalization

Source: British Journal of General Practice, 2012, 62, (595) (e113-e120)

Date of publication: February 2012

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell: This article reviews a pilot study in Scotland which aimed to provide anticipatory care plans (ACPs) for patients who were at risk of hospital admission. Patients’ wishes in the event of sudden deterioration in their health were recorded.  The pilot achieved statistically significant reductions in unplanned hospitalisation for patients with multiple morbidities and  demonstrates the potential for providing both better care as well as better value for health and social care services.

Length of publication: 8 pages

Some important notes:  Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Acknowledgement: Embase

Quick guide to identifying patients for supportive and palliative care

Source:  Macmillan Cancer Support, NHS Camden & NHS Islington

Follow this link for fulltext

Date of publication: October 2011

Publication type: Resource

In a nutshell:  Produced in response to requests from GPs,  this quick guide to identifying patients for supportive and palliative care has been developed by Macmillan Cancer Support, NHS Camden and NHS Islington.  4 refs.

Length of publication: 2 pages

Development of a communication prompt by East Lancashire Hospice

Source:  National End of Life Care Programme

Follow this link for fulltext.

Date of publication: October 2011

Publication type:  Case Study

In a nutshell:  In a collaborative project, East Lancashire Hospice and the community team from NHS Blackburn with Darwen used an NHS Innovations grant to create, pilot and evaluate a ‘Think about it’ communications prompt.  The prompt is designed to help professionals to enable and support patients to have advance care planning discussions.  The project has recieved positive feedback.

Preferences for end of life: views of hospice patients, family carers, and community nurse specialists

Source: International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 2011, 17(5) p.251-5

Follow this link for fulltext.

Date of publication: May 2011

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell: This article describes a qualitative study which was undertaken with the objective of identifying issues around discussing and recording preferences on place of death from the perspective of hospice patients, carers, and hospice community nurses. A sample was selected from three hospices in south east England consisting of six community nurse specialists, five patients, five carers, and five bereaved carers. The differing issues and views are described in detail along with suggestions for improving outcomes for patients and their families and carers.

Length of publication: 5 pages

Some important notes:  An NHS Athens password is required to access this article online. Follow this link to register for Athens.

Acknowledgement: BNI

What are patients’ priorities when facing the end of life? A critical review.

Source: International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 2011,17 (6), p.294-300

Follow this link  for fulltext 

Date of publication: June 2011

Publication type: Review, Article

In a nutshell:  The objective of this critical review was to investigate what patients’ priorities are when facing the end of life. A methodical and explicit search was made of academic databases to identify key articles. These articles were then critically appraised and the data was extracted and anylsed using an appropriate methodology. Findings showed that patients wanted:

• to understand and accept their changing health status

• to retain some normality in life

• to be supported by friends and family

• to know they will be taken care of after the death

• good and trusting relationships with health professionals.

Length of publication: 7 pages

Some important notes:

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Acknowledgement: BNI

A framework for the best end of life care planning

Source: Nursing & Residential Care, 2011, 13(3) p.137-40

Follow this link  for fulltext. 

Date of publication: March 2011

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell:  The National End of Life Care Programme has published a guide to improving the care of dying people in care homes.  This article, aimed at care home managers, discusses how it can help them to optimize end of life care in their homes. It advocates a six-step pathway, provides illustrative case studies, information about quality markers, suggestions for staff training and finally, it provides sources of further information.

Length of publication: 4 pages

Some important notes: An NHS Athens password is required to access this article.  Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Acknowledgement: BNI

Dignified end-of-life care in the patients’ own homes

Source: Nursing Ethics, 2011, 18(3) p.374-85

Follow this link  for the abstract.

Date of publication: May 2011

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell: This article describes a research project undertaken to illustrate community nurses’ experiences of the factors contributing to a good death in patient’s own homes. Factors identified include autonomy, integrity and safety.  Examples of ways in which care staff can help supply these factors and contribute significantly to a dignified end of life are provided.

Length of publication: 11 pages

Some important notes: Contact your local health library for a copy of this article. Follow this link to find your local health library.

Spreading best practice in dementia and end of life care

Source:  Advancing Quality Alliance

Follow this link for fulltext

Date of publication:  April 2011

Publication type:  Case Study

In a nutshell:   Led by Greater Manchester and Cheshire Palliative Care Network, this project aims to build on existing end of life care tools such as the Gold Standard Framework and the Liverpool Care Pathway.  The objective is to provide sets of tools that equip GP and out-of-hours providers to make better decisions about end of life care for dementia suffers which will result in the provision of more appropriate care and significant cost savings. 

Length of publication: 2 pages

Model for the First National Institutes of Health-Funded Center of Excellence in End-of-Life Research.

Source:  Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, 13, (1), p. 54.-60.

Follow this link  for abstract

Date of publication:  January/February 2011

Publication type:  Article

In a nutshell:  This article describes the progress to date along with the aims, framework, and organisational structure of the first centre in the U.S.A. for end of life care research.  Known as the ‘Center for End-of-Life Transition Research’ one of the key objectives is for the centre to become a ‘centre of excellence’ on end-of-life research and to provide evidence of good practice which will influence practice in other institutions. 

Research to date indicates it is well on track to achieve this and the other goals set in 2007 when it received 5 year funding from ed by the National Institutes for Health.

Length of publication: 6 pages

A comparison of palliative care outcome measures used to assess the quality of palliative care provided in long-term care facilities: a systematic review

 Source:  PALLIATIVE MEDICINE, 2011, 25; (1) p. 5-20

Follow this link  for abstract

Date of publication:  January 2011

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell:  The aim of this systematic review was to determine what outcome measures are available to assess the quality of palliative care provided in long-term care facilities and to determine their reliability, validity and feasibility. 

Length of publication: 16 pages

Some important notes:  This article is available in full text to all NHS Staff using Athens, for more information about accessing full text follow this link  to find your local NHS Library 

Acknowledgement: Cinahl

Webinar – Coordinated services for End of Life Care 3.2.11 13:00

Source:  Department of Health

Date of event:  3rd February 2011 at 1pm.

In a nutshell:  This webinar is facilitated by Sophia Christie, DH Lead for the Quality, Innovation, Productivity & Presentation End of Life Care Workstream.  It is aimed at GP Commissioners, PCT and Community Professionals and members of the public who are interested in discovering how social care and health professionals can develop partnerships to improve care for patients with long-term conditions. 

Some important notes:  

• Click here to register for the event. 
• The event reference number is 842 543 942 
• The password is QIPP123. 
• Dial in number is 0800 028 1181

Acknowledgement: National End of Life Care Programme

Introducing a new hospice community care model (CCM)

Source:  National End of Life Care Programme

Follow this link for the case study report in  fulltext 

Follow this link to St Catherine’s Hospice website

Follow this link to the poster presentation:   Community palliative care: integrating staff experiences to develop a new patient care model

Follow this link to the poster presentation:  Successes and challenges in implementing  a new Community Care Model 

Date of publication: November 2010

Publication type: Case Study and Poster Presentations

In a nutshell:  This case study describes the new community care model introduced a  in 2009 at St Catherine’s Hospice in Crawley with the objective of  becoming more responsive to patients and carers and enhancing patient choice at the end of life.  The changes introduced so far have meant that significant numbers of patients have been able to die at the place they indicated in their Preferred Place of Care.  Considerable improvements are reported and the scheme has implemented improved channels of communication between services which has resulted in rapid exchange of key patient information which has impacted significantly in the progress made so far. The work is ongoing.

NHS North East publishes A Good Death: time to think

Source: National End of Life Care Programme

Follow this link to download the report – A Good Death: time to think. Further information relating to the consultation and charter can also be found here

Date of publication: November 2010

Publication type: Report

In a nutshell: Details from the UK’s first ever regional public consultation on death and dying have been published by NHS North East. The three-month survey was designed to improve end of life care and support by encouraging people to talk about it.

Some important notes: Full and summary reports are available via the above ‘Follow this link’.