Search results for ‘Subject term:"end of life care"’ Sort:
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Missed opportunities: advance care planning report
- Author:
- MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT
- Publisher:
- Macmillan Cancer Support
- Publication year:
- 2018
- Pagination:
- 56
- Place of publication:
- London
This report sheds new light on people’s first-hand experiences of Advance Care Planning, exploring the needs of people living with cancer, carers and health and social care professionals. It draws on findings from site visits to different health and social care settings such as hospices, oncology units and support groups; in-depth interviews with 13 people living with terminal cancer diagnoses; and a survey 2,005 people with a previous cancer diagnosis. Advance Care Planning describes conversations between a person and those involved in their care about their future wishes and preferences; it can significantly improve end of life experiences. The report finds that the perceived need to ‘fight’ cancer often means people with a terminal diagnosis aren’t getting the right support to plan for end of life; more than one in four people with cancer have difficulty talking honestly about their feelings around cancer; of those people surveyed who had spoken to their healthcare team about dying, only 19% of conversations were initiated by a health or social care professional; a quarter of people with cancer also admitted to not sharing their own thoughts about death and dying with anyone due to seeing themselves as a ‘fighter’; gulf in communication means people with cancer unnecessarily die in hospital against their wishes. The report calls for action to ensure better digital solutions are effectively rolled out across the UK to enable the recording and sharing of people’s care preferences at the end of life; and that adequate provision and funding of high-quality end of life care and support in the community to reduce unnecessary emergency admissions and the number of people dying in hospital when they do not want or need to. (Edited publisher abstract)
Getting it right for carers supporting someone at end of life
- Authors:
- MARIE CURIE, MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT
- Publishers:
- Marie Curie, Macmillan Cancer Support
- Publication year:
- 2018
- Pagination:
- 43
- Place of publication:
- Glasgow
This research provides evidence on the support needs of carers in Scotland who are supporting someone at the end of life. It aims to inform recommendations regarding timescales for the creation of an Adult Carer Support Plan (ACSP) by local authorities, who have a duty to provide a ACSPs or a Young Carer Statement (YCS) under the Carers (Scotland) Act (2016). The study draws on data from a literature review, secondary analysis and two focus groups with bereaved carers in Scotland. Themes identified include barriers to and triggers for identification of carers; a range of support needs. These included physical support, psychological support, respite, information and communication, co-ordination and competing demands. End of life and speed of decline were also highlighted as key transitions in the caring journey. The findings identified missed opportunities to provide support for carers, for example a change in health status of the carer or cared-for person or their interaction with services. Support particularly valued by carers included, psychological support, peer support, respite, and support provided by primary health care and social workers, especially in relation to co-ordination of care and provision of information. The report highlights the importance of identifying carers of people with terminal illness early, ideally at diagnosis, so carer needs are assessed and met before end of life. (Edited publisher abstract)
No regrets: how talking more openly about death could help people die well
- Author:
- MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT
- Publisher:
- Macmillan Cancer Support
- Publication year:
- 2017
- Pagination:
- 15
- Place of publication:
- London
Outlines initial findings from three pieces of research to explore the difficulties people have talking about death, the importance of advance care planning in improving care for dying people, and what needs to change to support people to die well. The research involved: a survey of the general public, where 1,786 answered questions on death and dying from a totals sample of 2,096; a YouGov survey to 2,005 people with cancer, with 1,878 answering questions on death and dying, and a qualitative study exploring the experiences of cancer patients at end of life and the wider health and social care system. The findings of the YouGov survey, found almost one in four (23 percent) people with cancer think about their death ‘constantly’ or ‘often’ during treatment, but less than one in 10 (8 percent) shared their feelings with their healthcare team. The survey also found that just 1 per cent of people with cancer want to die in hospital, with most (64 percent) preferring to die in their own home, or in a hospice (18 percent). The report argues that talking more about death and encouraging advance care planning could improve people’s experience of care; enable more patients to die in their preferred place and reduce unnecessary hospital admissions. It concludes by making recommendations to the governments in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. (Edited publisher abstract)