Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2015
Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in dementia: A qualitative study of the views of former dementia carers.
Despite media and academic interest on assisted dying in dementia, little is known of the views of those directly affected. ⋯ Health workers should be mindful of the holistic experience of dementia at the end of life. The psychological and existential aspects of suffering should be addressed, as well as relief of physical pain. Further research is required.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2015
Chronically homeless persons' participation in an advance directive intervention: A cohort study.
Chronically homeless individuals have high rates of hospitalization and death, and they may benefit from the completion of advance directives. ⋯ A counselor-guided intervention can achieve a high rate of advance directive completion among chronically homeless persons. Most participants expressed a preference to receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the event of a cardiorespiratory arrest.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2015
Community-based palliative care is associated with reduced emergency department use by people with dementia in their last year of life: A retrospective cohort study.
To describe patterns in the use of hospital emergency departments in the last year of life by people who died with dementia and whether this was modified by use of community-based palliative care. ⋯ Community-based palliative care of people who die with or of dementia is relatively infrequent but associated with significant reductions in hospital emergency department use in the last year of life.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2015
A qualitative study exploring the benefits of hospital admissions from the perspectives of patients with palliative care needs.
The acute hospital plays a significant role in caring for people with a life-limiting illness. Most research to date has focused exclusively upon the negative aspects of hospitalisation. Currently, there is little known about the benefits of hospital admissions for patients with palliative care needs. ⋯ This research contributes to a greater understanding of the benefits associated with hospitalisation for patients with palliative care needs. The findings suggest that such benefits extend beyond the treatment patients receive and challenge current assumptions regarding the role of the acute hospital in palliative care.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2015
Perspectives on the role of the speech and language therapist in palliative care: An international survey.
Speech and language therapists can improve the quality of life of people receiving palliative care through the management of communication and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia). However, their role in this domain is poorly defined and little is understood about the current international professional practice in this field. ⋯ Internationally, speech and language therapists believe they have a role in palliative care. The speech and language therapist respondents highlighted that this area of practice is under-resourced, under-acknowledged and poorly developed. They highlighted the need for additional research as well as specialist training and education for speech and language therapists and other multidisciplinary team members in the area of palliative care.