Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2024
The perspectives of people with dementia and their supporters on advance care planning: A qualitative study with the European Working Group of People with Dementia.
Advance care planning has been defined in an international consensus paper, supported by the European Association for Palliative Care. There are concerns that this definition may not apply to dementia. Moreover, it is not informed by input from people with dementia. ⋯ The perspectives of the European Working Group of People with Dementia and their supporters highlighted the need for a person-centred and dementia-inclusive advance care planning definition. We provide tangible recommendations for future adaptations of the definition that reflect these perspectives.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2024
Social acceptability of psilocybin-assisted therapy for existential distress at the end of life: A population-based survey.
Internationally, there is a growing interest in the potential benefits of psilocybin-assisted therapy to treat existential distress at the end of life. However, the social acceptability of this therapy is not yet well known. ⋯ The social acceptability of psilocybin-assisted therapy for existential distress at the end of life is rather high in Canada. These findings may contribute to efforts to mobilise resources and improve access to this emerging therapy in palliative and end of life care settings.
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Palliative medicine · Jan 2024
'Thank you for loving me': A qualitative study on perceptions of gratitude and their effects in palliative care patients and relatives.
Empirical studies suggest that gratitude positively influence the quality of life of palliative patients and relatives. However, the literature is marked by a lack of conceptual clarity about what gratitude is and whether it can bring about individual and social benefits. ⋯ Our study suggests that gratitude is a key to a good (end of) life, whilst highlighting potential negative effects. It could help healthcare professionals to better understand what gratitude means to patients and relatives, which may facilitate awareness and fostering of gratitude in palliative care.
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Palliative medicine · Jan 2024
Multicenter StudyCOVID-19 in pediatric palliative care patients: Multicenter, retrospective cohort study.
Studies have shown the risk factors for COVID-19 severity in children, including comorbidities, but information on the infection course in children with life-limiting conditions is sparse. ⋯ In the study population initial presentation of COVID-19 was predominantly a mild; however, the small sample size precluded definitive conclusions. For children under palliative care, we should identify if they have an advance care plan for COVID-19, such as desires for intensive care support. Further studies are needed to define the short and long-term effects of COVID-19 in children with life-limiting conditions.