Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Dec 2022
"It was terrible, I didn't sleep for two years": A mixed methods exploration of sleep and its effects among family caregivers of in-home hospice patients at end-of-life.
Due to overnight caregiving demands; exacerbation of high rates of anxiety, depression, and distress; and inadequate support, millions of family caregivers of patients receiving in-home hospice are at risk of poor sleep and negative health effects. ⋯ End-of-life family caregivers experience disrupted sleep with negative effects and inadequate support. Clinicians must assess sleep, offer sleep interventions, and provide more supports to hospice family caregivers.
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Palliative medicine · Dec 2022
Randomized Controlled TrialA therapist-supported internet-based intervention for bereaved siblings: A randomized controlled trial.
The loss of a sibling can have a long-term impact on the mental and physical health of the surviving sibling throughout adolescence and later adulthood. Even though bereaved siblings can be identified as a high-risk group, evidence-based interventions for this bereavement group are still missing. ⋯ Bereaved siblings profited from this brief internet-based writing intervention in the short- and long-term. However, future research, such as dismantling studies, may help to further optimize the benefits of an intervention aimed at bereaved siblings.
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Palliative medicine · Dec 2022
Identifying, exploring and integrating the spiritual dimension in proactive care planning: A mixed methods evaluation of a communication training intervention for multidisciplinary palliative care teams.
Patients receiving palliative care value attention given to their spiritual needs. However, these needs often remain unexplored as healthcare professionals lack the skills to identify and explore them and to integrate this information into care plans. ⋯ Our training intervention resulted in increased palliative care professionals' competence in identifying and exploring patients' spiritual issues, and their integration in multidimensional proactive palliative care plans. The intervention directly addresses patients' spiritual concerns and adds value to their palliative care plans.
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Palliative medicine · Dec 2022
Strategies for recruiting the dependent children of patients with a life-limiting illness as research participants.
The voices of children and adolescents have historically been substituted by the perspective of adults. There is growing recognition that children (<18 years old) are able to participate in research and appreciate the opportunity to participate in studies. ⋯ Simple strategies can be used to overcome barriers to recruitment, providing opportunities for children to be research participants and for their unique perspectives to be heard in palliative care research.
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Palliative medicine · Dec 2022
ReviewFactors associated with hospitalisations of patients with chronic heart failure approaching the end of life: A systematic review.
Heart failure has high mortality and is linked to substantial burden for patients, carers and health care systems. Patients with chronic heart failure frequently experience recurrent hospitalisations peaking at the end of life, but most prefer to avoid hospital. The drivers of hospitalisations are not well understood. ⋯ Efforts to integrate hospice and specialist palliative services into care may reduce avoidable hospitalisations in advanced heart failure. Inequalities in end-of-life care in terms of race/ethnicity should be addressed. Further research should investigate the causality of the relationships identified here.