The study, completed by the Cicely Saunders Institute at King’s College London, found that while 42 per cent of patients with advanced non-malignant conditions preferred a home death, only about 9 per cent, on average, of these deaths occurred at home. Although much has been done to improve cancer-related palliative and hospice care, more people die from non-malignant conditions in the UK, and these patients generally spend more time in hospitals and are less likely to die at home. This includes conditions such as dementia, heart, respiratory, or kidney failure, and stroke, and patients with co-morbidity. However, increasing the availability of professional support for family carers and patients at home can mitigate this discrepancy. The research demonstrates that family care combined with professional support made the chance of a home death almost three times more likely than situations of home care without professional support.
The study also highlights that attention should be paid to the individual preferences and needs of each patient, as those needs can evolve both over time and the course of the illness. Skilled professionals can help family carers anticipate these changes and can aide in advance care planning. This can ensure that the patient’s preferred place of care and death is realized.
Source: Science Codex
King’s College London
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