British journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing)
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This article concentrates on elements of the Mental Capacity Act that may be glossed over when people are concentrating on the issue of living wills (advanced directives). New powers have been introduced under the Act and these do have the power to alter people's lives. ⋯ There is a new court - the Court of Protection, designed to settle disputes about the validity or applicability of a living will. With the powers of a High Court, the Act reveals the seriousness with which the law now regards the issues that surround the making of a living will and the granting or refusal to grant consent to treatment and care.
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Caring for people with dementia in an acute hospital setting presents a number of challenges. This article reports the findings of a study which explored nurses' experiences of caring for older people with dementia in a unit caring for older people within an acute hospital. ⋯ The findings revealed the structural inadequacies of the acute hospital as a dementia care environment and the resultant challenges and complexities of the care experience. Despite the identified challenges, nurses considered the specific needs of people with dementia and the environmental effects of the acute setting on their ability to meet identified needs.
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The recent epic2 publication (Pratt et al, 2007) provides evidence-based guidelines for the prevention of healthcare-associated infections. One of the new recommendations related to the prevention of central venous catheter (CVC) associated infection states that 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) in 70% isopropyl alcohol (IPA) should be used for cutaneous antisepsis prior to device insertion. This article reviews cutaneous antisepsis prior to intravascular catheter placement.