Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2023
ReviewUnderstanding parent experiences of end-of-life care for children: A systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis.
An estimated 21 million children worldwide would benefit from palliative care input and over 7 million die each year. For parents of these children this is an intensely emotional and painful time through which they will need support. There is a lack of synthesised research about how parents experience the care delivered to their child at the end of life. ⋯ Services delivering end-of-life care for children need to recognise the importance for parents of being able to fulfil their parental role and consider how they enable this. What the parental role consists of, and how it's expressed, differs for individuals. Guidance should acknowledge the need to enable parents to parent at their child's end of life.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2023
Observational StudyUnderstanding the role and deployment of volunteers within specialist palliative care services and organisations as they have adjusted to the COVID-19 pandemic: A multi-national EAPC volunteer taskforce survey.
Early indications were of a major decline in specialist palliative care volunteer numbers during COVID-19. It is important that ongoing deployment and role of volunteers is understood, given the dependence of many palliative care services on volunteers for quality care provision. ⋯ The sustained reduction in volunteer deployment has impacted the provision of specialist palliative care. Urgent consideration must be given to the future of volunteering including virtual modes of delivery, micro-volunteering, and appealing to a younger demographic.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2023
LGBT+ partner bereavement and appraisal of the Acceptance-Disclosure Model of LGBT+ bereavement: A qualitative interview study.
Support from social networks is vital after the death of a partner. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender (LGBT+) people can face disenfranchisement and isolation in bereavement. The Acceptance-Disclosure Model (of LGBT+ bereavement) posits that experiences are shaped by the extent to which individuals feel able to disclose their bereavement to others, and whether that loss is acknowledged appropriately. ⋯ LGBT+ people face additional stressors in bereavement. Not all LGBT+ people want to talk directly about their relationships/identities. Sensitive exploration of support needs, aligned with preferences around disclosure of identities, can help foster trust. Five recommendations for inclusive practice are presented. Further research should consider whether the Acceptance-Disclosure Model has utility to explain bereavement experiences for other isolated or disenfranchised groups.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2023
Feasibility of RESTORE: An online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy intervention to improve palliative care staff wellbeing.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy which uses behavioural psychology, values, acceptance and mindfulness techniques to improve mental health and wellbeing. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is efficacious in treating stress, anxiety and depression in a broad range of settings including occupational contexts where emotional labour is high. This approach could help palliative care staff to manage work-related stress and promote wellbeing. ⋯ Online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for wellbeing is acceptable to palliative care staff and feasible to implement using Microsoft Teams in a palliative care setting. Incorporating ways to promote long-term maintenance of behaviour changes, and strategies to optimise data collection at follow-up are key considerations for future intervention refinement and evaluation.