World hospice and palliative care news roundup – 21 October 2015

Categories: In The Media.

The next era of palliative care

Journal of the American Medical Association

20 years after SUPPORT, little has changed for seriously ill patients, who continue to receive poor quality, high-cost care without being informed of likely treatment outcomes so that they would be able to make decisions that reflect their values.

Why carers are disadvantaged even when their responsibilities end

UK – The Conversation

Recognition of carers and their vital role in society has never been greater. However, despite being the subject of a series of policy initiatives over the past 30 years – the Care Act 2014 being the latest – carers continue to be profoundly disadvantaged.

Calls for more staff in palliative care to allow more Australians to die at home

Australia – ABC

Being able to die at home, in familiar surroundings and in the presence of family is by some accounts how around 80 per cent of Australians would choose to end their days, but it’s believed only 20 per cent of people are achieving that.

More old people in hospital as community care ‘starved’ – Age UK

UK – The Guardian

Thousands of older people are ending up in hospital every year with potentially life-threatening infections because GPs and other community-based NHS services do too little to keep them well, a report from Age UK has warned.

On assisted dying, California will be a test site for the world

US – The Guardian

The argument over legalising assisted suicide has nothing to do with religious dogma – it’s about whether a law will protect the weakest in society, and now we can find out.

How to talk to a terminally ill loved one about their sexual needs

US – Huffington Post

According to the hierarchy made famous by psychologist Abraham Maslow, humans’ most fundamental needs include air, food, drink, warmth, sleep and sex. That doesn’t change during terminal illnesses, but speaking to a dying loved one about their need for physical intimacy has become a cultural taboo.

Their lives, their love can be seen in their hands

US – Detroit Free Press

The Holding Hands Forever program is available free to anyone who is served by Great Lakes Caring, which has more than 300 hospice programs throughout the state, as well as assisted-living facilities and in-home care services.

Taking children’s palliative care to grassroots level in southern Malawi

ehospice International Children’s

Beatrice Mang’anda; Team Leader for Umodzi Children’s Palliative Care Unit in Malawi writes about the successful training of health care providers working at the community level in the basics of children’s palliative care.

ehospice Ireland

The Irish Hospice Foundation is holding a public meeting in Mullingar Park Hotel on Wednesday, October 21st at 7.30pm to make the case for urgent investment in palliative care services in Laois, Offally, Westmeath and Longford.

New research approach highlights benefits of music therapy

ehospice Australia

Recent Queensland research has provided new evidence that music therapy can significantly reduce perceptions of pain in children with life-limiting conditions.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *