Palliative & supportive care
-
Palliat Support Care · Jun 2015
Identifying socio-environmental factors that facilitate resilience among Canadian palliative family caregivers: a qualitative case study.
In Canada, friends and family members are becoming increasingly responsible for providing palliative care in the home. This is resulting in some caregivers experiencing high levels of stress and burden that may ultimately surpass their ability to cope. Recent palliative care research has demonstrated the potential for caregiver resilience within such contexts. This research, however, is primarily focused on exploring individual-level factors that contribute to resilience, minimizing the inherent complexity of this concept, and how it is simultaneously influenced by one's social context. Therefore, our study aims to identify socio-environmental factors that contribute to palliative family caregiver resilience in the Canadian homecare context. ⋯ Findings contribute to existing research on caregiver resilience by empirically demonstrating the role of socio-environmental factors in caregiving experiences. Furthermore, utilizing an intersectional approach, these findings build on existing notions that resilience is a multidimensional and complex process influenced by numerous related variables that intersect to create either positive or negative experiences. The implications of the results for optimizing best homecare nursing practice are discussed.
-
Palliat Support Care · Jun 2015
Hospice palliative care volunteers: the benefits for patients, family caregivers, and the volunteers.
Terminally ill patients and family caregivers can benefit greatly from the support and care provided by trained hospice palliative care volunteers. The benefits of doing this kind of volunteer work also extend to the volunteers themselves, who often say they receive more than they give from the patients/families they are "privileged" to be with. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how hospice palliative care volunteerism benefits both the patients and families who utilize this service as well as the volunteers. ⋯ More needs to be done to promote the value of hospice palliative care volunteers to those who can really benefit from their support and care (i.e., patients and their families) as well as to help people recognize the potential rewards of being a hospice palliative care volunteer. It is a win-win situation.
-
Palliat Support Care · Apr 2015
Randomized Controlled TrialDelirium, agitation, and symptom distress within the final seven days of life among cancer patients receiving hospice care.
Knowledge of symptom prevalence and adequate assessment of such symptoms at the end of life is important in clinical practice. We determined the frequency and severity of symptom distress and delirium using the Edmonton Assessment Scale (ESAS) and the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale (MDAS) and evaluated the clinical utility of the Nursing Delirium Screening Scale (Nu-DESC) as scored by a caregiver as a screening tool for delirium. ⋯ Hospice patients at the end of life have a high rate of symptom distress and delirium. The Nu-DESC is not a reliable tool for screening delirium when scoring is conducted by a caregiver. Our study illustrates the need for routine use of assessment tools to improve care.
-
Palliat Support Care · Apr 2015
Formative assessment of oncology trainees' communication with cancer patients about internet information.
Cancer patients and their caregivers often turn to the internet for information and support following a cancer diagnosis. Research shows a need for improvement in doctors' communication with patients about internet information. The purpose of this formative assessment was to evaluate oncology trainees' skills in talking about internet information with cancer patients. ⋯ This formative assessment indicated that the majority of trainees addressed the content of the internet search, while a minority addressed the internet as a tool and praised patients' efforts. Research in this area should examine the effectiveness of educational interventions for trainees to improve discussions about internet information.
-
Palliat Support Care · Apr 2015
Comparative StudyBreathlessness and crises in the context of advanced illness: A comparison between COPD and lung cancer patients.
The objective of this study was to explore and contrast the experience and meaning of breathlessness in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or lung cancer at the end of life. ⋯ Breathlessness leads to crises in patients with advanced disease. Although experiences of patients are similar, reactions and coping mechanisms vary and are more related to the disease and the stage of disease.