Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2022
"By the time she got sick it was just kind of too late": A qualitative study on advanced care planning among bereaved lesbian, gay, and bisexual older women.
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) older women have unmet communication needs around palliative and end-of-life care. Past research has found communication differences for LGB women patients. Consequently, older LGB women may experience healthcare communication barriers around advance care planning. ⋯ While certain experiences and opinions may reflect those of non-LGB older adults, novel advance care planning barriers exist for LGB older women. Greater understanding among clinicians is needed regarding advance care planning conversations with LGB dyads. We recommend four improvements in training, recognition, acceptance, and dyad-based communication interventions.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2022
Meta AnalysisRisk factors for delirium in adult patients receiving specialist palliative care: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Delirium is common and distressing for patients receiving palliative care. Interventions targetting modifiable risk factors in other settings have been shown to prevent delirium. Research on delirium risk factors in palliative care can inform context-specific risk-reduction interventions. ⋯ Findings may usefully inform interventions to reduce delirium risk but more high quality prospective cohort studies are required to enable greater certainty about associations of different risk factors with delirium during specialist palliative care.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2022
Meta AnalysisPrevalence of grief disorders in bereaved families of cancer patients: A meta-analysis.
Cancer caregiving is a distressing experience and loss of a loved one can lead to intense grief and other adverse effects. However, the prevalence of grief disorders among families associated with cancer-related deaths remains unknown. ⋯ As the prevalence of grief disorders in cancer-related bereavement is substantial, therefore, support including palliative care is important to reduce the burden of caregiving. In addition, future studies are needed to identify and explore effective strategies that can help reduce the burden caused by grief disorders after the death of the patient.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2022
Multicenter Study'It was like an airbag, it cushioned the blow': A multi-site qualitative study of bereaved parents' experiences of using cooling facilities.
Evidence on the benefits to parents of spending time with their child in the hours after their death means this is now routine practice. UK children's hospices offer parents the opportunity to extend this period by using cooling facilities (i.e. cooled 'bedrooms'; cooling blankets/mattresses) to slow deterioration. ⋯ As well as easing the very early days of loss, use of cooling facilities may influence longer-term bereavement outcomes.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2022
Interventions to support family caregivers of people with advanced dementia at the end of life in nursing homes: A mixed-methods systematic review.
Most people with dementia transition into nursing homes as their disease progresses. Their family caregivers often continue to be involved in their relative's care and experience high level of strain at the end of life. ⋯ The findings provide useful information on which interventions may benefit family caregivers of people with advanced dementia at the end of life and where, when, and how they should be provided.