Outcomes and effectiveness: beyond a professional perspective

Working with Family Carers of People with Dementia

Supporting family carers is likely to remain at the forefront of community care policy in dementia care for the foreseeable future. However, despite extensive research in the area there is little evidence for the effectiveness of current interventions. Many authors attribute this to methodological weaknesses and promote larger and more sophisticated trials. Using data from an Australian study of how carers of people with dementia cope with the challenges they face, this article calls for a re-appraisal of the ways in which a successful intervention is defined and promotes an approach based on partnership in which carers themselves play a significant role in determining ‘what works’.

Rehabilitation and specialist palliative care

Enabling individuals to achieve their maximum potential and quality of life following a diagnosis of advanced cancer, has long been a stated aim of palliative care. Increased life expectancy and the introduction of specialist palliative care to patients at an earlier stage of their illness presents professionals in the specialty with new challenges in meeting the need for rehabilitative care. This article examines some of the recent developments affecting the provision of rehabilitative care and describes one specialist palliative care unit's response to the challenge, highlighting the role of a nurse-led clinic within the service framework.