Barriers and facilitators to the receipt of palliative care for people with dementia: The views of medical and nursing staff

Source: Palliative Medicine 2012, 26(7) p.879-886

Follow this link for the abstract

Date of publication: October 2012

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell:  This paper reports on qualitative research conducted in the UK that sought to explore the experiences of health care practitioners working in palliative care and sought to establish the issues relating to end-of-life care for people with dementia. Four themes were identified: Making the transition; Competence challenged; ‘The long view’ and Working together. The paper concludes with recommendations for policy and practice development.

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.

 

Economic analysis of potentially avoidable hospital admissions in patients with palliative care needs

Source: Progress in Palliative Care 2012 20(3), p147-153

Follow this link for the article abstract

Date of publication:July 2012

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell: This study conducted a recent  survey of two English hospital identified patients with palliative care needs and the proportion of these patients whose admission was potentially avoidable. Using these data, the economic impact of avoiding such hospital admissions is estimated.

Length of publication: 7 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.

 

Early identification of palliative care patients in general practice: development of RADboud indicators for PAlliative Care Needs (RADPAC)

Source: British Journal of General Practice 2012, 62(602) pe625-e631(7)

Follow this link to download the article

Date of publication: September 2012

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell: The aim of this study was to systematically develop a tool for GPs with which they can identify patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cancer respectively, who could benefit from proactive palliative care. A three-step procedure, including a literature review, focus group interviews with input from the multidisciplinary field of palliative healthcare professionals, and a modified Rand Delphi process with GPs; was used to develop sets of indicators for the early identification of CHF, COPD, and cancer patients who could benefit from palliative care. The article concludes that applying the RADPAC facilitates the start of proactive palliative care and aims to improve the quality of palliative care in general practice.

Length of publication: 7 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

 

Lothian Advance Care Planning Project

Source: NHS Lothian

Follow this link for  the full report

Date of publication: June 2012

Publication type: Report

In a nutshell: In 2010 NHS Lothian funded a one-year Project which, in collaboration with Marie Curie Hospice Edinburgh and St Columba’s Hospice, would support health care staff across Lothian to implement Advance Care Planning (ACP). The key findings of the project overall were:
• In each setting there were gaps in understanding of palliative care definitions and of the ACP process
• Identifying palliative patients/residents who may benefit from ACP was not routine practice
• Staff were uncertain how to share the outcomes from ACP conversations or had difficulty with the IT system

From these findings, a number of key recommendations on how to best
support clinical teams to implement ACP in Lothian were made.

Length of publication: 54p.

Acknowledgement:  Marie Curie Cancer Care; St. Columba’s Hospice

Living and Dying Well – Progress Report – NHS Boards

Source: Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care

Follow this link to download progress report

Date of publication: June 2012

Publication type: Progess report

In a nutshell: This report is a national overview on the implementation of Living and Dying Well: a national action plan for palliative and end of life care which has been compiled by Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care (SPPC) on behalf of the Living and Dying Well National Advisory Group. A number of the key actions which Living and Dying Well identified for NHS Boards have either been fully or nearly achieved on a consistent basis across Scotland. Whilst many key actions have yet to be achieved consistently there is evidence of progress and examples of innovation and good practice in Boards.  The report reinforces the need for focus on areas previously identified as priorities for implementation:-

• Early identification of patients who may need palliative care

• Advance/anticipatory care planning

• Palliative and end of life care in acute hospitals

• Electronic palliative care summary (ePCS)

• Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DNACPR)

Length of publication:48 pages

The rich picture on people at end of life

Source: Macmillan Cancer Support

Follow this link to download the publication

Date of publication: August 2012

Publication type: Evidence-based summaries

In a nutshell: The rich pictures are engaging evidence-based summaries of the numbers, needs and experiences of different groupings within with the two million people living with cancer in the UK. They contain a range of evidence and insight including how many people are within the group, and what their typical needs and experiences are.

Length of publication:60 pages

 

New end of life care profiles for each local authority

Source: National End of Life Care Intelligence Network

Follow this link for the website

Date of publication:August 2012

Publication type: Website

In a nutshell: The End of Life Care Local Authority Profiles 2012 present over 50 indicators for each local authority in England. They include social care indicators for the first time.

There are indicators that can be used to predict need:

• population
• deaths

and to look at current patterns of care:

• place of death
• cause of death
• deaths in hospital
• care homes
• social care.

Acknowledgement: National End of Life Care Programme

More people able to die at home due to community specialist palliative care

Source: National Council for Palliative Care

Follow this link for the full report

Date of publication: August 2012

Publication type: Report

In a nutshell: Specialist palliative care community services are leading to more people being able to die at home, according to a major new report out today by the National Council for Palliative Care and the National End of Life Care Intelligence Network. Latest figures show that a third of those receiving specialist palliative care in 2010/11 died at home, compared with just one in five nationally. This is the third successive year that the proportion of deaths at home has increased for people using community specialist palliative care services.

Length of publication: 88p.

Acknowledgement: National Council for Palliative Care; National End of Life Care Intelligence Network; National End of Life Care Programme

National End of Life Care Programme newsletter Issue 48 – August 2012

Source: National End of Life Care Programme

Follow this link to download the newsletter

Date of publication: August 2012

Publication type: Newsletter

In a nutshell: In this issue of the National End of Life Care Programme newsletter:

• Focus on care homes
• An analysis of the VOICES survey’s findings about end of life care in care homes
• A briefing paper by SCIE on caring for people with advanced dementia at the end of life
• Case studies highlighting education and training initiatives aimed at helping care home staff to provide high quality end of life care
• Findings from Lancaster University’s evaluation of the Preferred Priorities for Care (PPC) tool
• An update on end of life care in Wales.

Length of publication: 12 pages