Palliative care during the final week of life of older people in nursing homes: A register-based study

Technology to Support Older Adults in Home Palliative Care: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Today, many older adults use health technologies, approach their final days with laptops, smartphones, and tablets. Telepalliative care is a service that remotely delivers palliative care through videoconferencing, telephonic communication, or remote symptom monitoring. The service meets the needs of patients who want to die at home and reducing unnecessary hospitalizations. The objective of this study is to map the literature on the use of technology by the terminally ill older adult population being cared for at home, to identify which technology systems are in use, to determine how technology can change communication between palliative care professionals and patients, and to explore the strengths or weaknesses patients perceive regarding the use of technology.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review following the methodology of Arksey and O'Malley. A literature search was conducted in the MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, SCOPUS, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Ilisi and Google Scholar databases.

RESULTS

Fourteen eligible papers identified various tools available in clinical practice and found that most older adults are comfortable and satisfied using them. Despite being physically distanced from clinicians, patients felt cared for even though eye contact was lacking. Being unfamiliar with technology emerged as a barrier to telepalliative care in addition to difficulties caused by screen size and internet connection problems.

CONCLUSIONS

Older adults in palliative care at home perceive technology as a means of receiving efficient care. However, future research is needed to investigate what they look for in a technological tool and to develop more suitable technologies for them.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

The protocol of this study has been published in the Open Science Framework (OSF) preregistrations at https://osf.io/acv7q to enhance replicability and transparency and reduce any publication or reporting bias.

Trends in the place of death in Sweden from 2013 to 2019 - disclosing prerequisites for palliative care

Background

The drive for home care has increasingly impacted the organization and allocation of resources within the Swedish healthcare system.

Objectives

With an interest in uncovering prerequisites for palliative care, this study aimed to investigate longitudinal trends in place of death within the adult Swedish population from 2013 to 2019 and examine potential associations between place of death and individual, geographic, and socioeconomic factors; hospital capacity; and healthcare utilization.

Methods

This population-level comprehensive register study included all deceased individuals ⩾18 years old with a registered place of death (n = 599,137). Data were retrieved from public and patient data registers and the national register for palliative care. Trends and associations between place of death and co-variables were investigated by logistic regression- and interaction analyses.

Results

From 2013 to 2019, the total number of home deaths increased by 1.9%, whereas the number of hospital deaths decreased by 2.6%. In the overall population of individuals living in their own homes, from 2013 to 2019, the likelihood of dying in hospital versus dying at home decreased (odds ratio: 0.98, 95% confidence interval: 0.97-0.99). Within the population with potential palliative needs living in their own home (78.4%), the likelihood of dying in hospitals equally decreased, except in Stockholm and the north region. For individuals residing in a nursing home, however, the likelihood of dying in hospital versus remaining in the nursing home until death only significantly decreased in the southern region.

Conclusion

The results show a trend towards a decrease in hospital deaths but with cross-regional variations. Still, in 2019, only about one-fifth of all individuals died in their own homes. Public health-oriented interventions aimed at strengthening palliative care resources in nursing homes and home care are suggested.

Community prescribing for cancer patients at the end of life: a national study

BACKGROUND

Good end-of-life care is essential to ensure dignity and comfort in death. To our knowledge, there has not been a national population-based study in England of community prescribing of all drugs used in end-of-life care for patients with cancer.

METHODS

57 632 people who died from malignant cancer in their own home or in a care home in 2017 in England were included in this study. National routinely collected data were used to examine community prescriptions dispensed for drugs for symptom control and anticipatory prescribing by key sociodemographic factors in the last 4 months of life.

RESULTS

94% of people who died received drugs to control their symptoms and 65% received anticipatory prescribing. Prescribing increased for the symptom control drug group (53% to 75%) and the anticipatory prescribing group (4% to 52%) over the 4-month period to death.

CONCLUSIONS

Most individuals who died of cancer in their own home or a care home were dispensed drugs commonly used to control symptoms at the end of life, as recommended by best-practice guidance. Lower prescribing activity was found for those who died in a care home, highlighting a potential need for improved end-of-life service planning.

Quality of life and nurse-patient interaction among NH residents: Loneliness is detrimental, while nurse-patient interaction is fundamental

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To investigate the association between perceived nurse-patient interaction and quality-of-life among nursing home residents, adjusted for loneliness, anxiety and depression.

BACKGROUND

Symptoms of anxiety and depression are known to residents of nursing homes along with cognitive impairment, physical inactivity and low quality-of-life. Anxiety, depression and loneliness are found detrimental to NH residents' quality-of-life. The nurse-patient relationship is important for patient's well-being, both in terms of illness and symptom management.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional design.

METHODS

Data were collected in 2017 and 2018 from 188 residents in 27 nursing homes resided in two large urban municipalities in Middle and Western Norway. The inclusion criteria were: (1) local authority's decision of long-term NH care; (2) residential stay 3 months or longer; (3) informed consent competency recognised by responsible doctor and nurse; (4) capable of being interviewed, and (5) aged 65 years or older. This article is executed in accordance with STROBE statement.

RESULTS

Adjusting for age, sex, anxiety, depression and loneliness, perceived nurse-patient interaction was statistically significant to quality-of-life. While anxiety and depression showed insignificant estimates, loneliness demonstrated a significant relation with quality-of-life. Nurse-patient interaction and loneliness explained together 25% of the variation in quality-of-life.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that loneliness is frequent as well as more detrimental to quality-of-life among nursing home residents compared to anxiety and depression. Furthermore, the present results show that the nurse-patient interaction represents an essential health-promoting resource for Quality-of-life in this population.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Staff nurses need to exercise their awareness of loneliness to meet residents' needs. Nursing educations should provide knowledge about nurse-patient interaction, and students as well as staff nurses in NHs should be trained, for instance by simulation, to use the nurse-patient interaction as a health-promoting resource. Finally, loneliness represents a bigger challenge than depression and anxiety; accordingly, building nurses that are capable of meeting patients' needs and facilitate care that counteracts loneliness is highly warranted.

Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations, Innovations, Opportunities, and Networks-American Pain Society-American Academy of Pain Medicine Pain Taxonomy Diagnostic Criteria for Acute Needle Pain

Needle procedures are among the most common causes of pain and distress for individuals seeking health care. While needle pain is especially problematic for children needle pain and associated fear also has significant impact on adults and can lead to avoidance of appropriate medical care. Currently there is not a standard definition of needle pain. A taxonomy, or classification system, for acute needle pain would aid research efforts and enhance clinical care. To meet this need, the Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations, Innovations, Opportunities, and Networks public-private partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the American Pain Society, and the American Academy of Pain Medicine formed the Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations, Innovations, Opportunities, and Networks-American Pain Society-American Academy of Pain Medicine Pain Taxonomy initiative. One of the goals of this initiative was to develop taxonomies for acute pain disorders, including needle pain. To accomplish this, a working group of experts in needle pain was convened. Based on available literature and expert opinion, the working group used a 5-dimenional structure (diagnostic criteria, common features, modulating factors, impact and/or functional consequences, and putative mechanisms) to develop an acute pain taxonomy that is specific needle pain. As part of this, a set of 4 diagnostic criteria, with 2 modifiers to account for the influence of needle associated fear, are proposed to define the types of acute needle pain. PERSPECTIVE: This article presents a taxonomy for acute needle pain. This taxonomy could help to standardize definitions of acute pain in clinical studies of patients undergoing needle procedures.

Barriers to and facilitators of ethical encounters at the end of life in a nursing home: an ethnographic study

Background

Among a growing population of older persons, many affected by multiple diseases and complex needs, are cared for in nursing homes. Previous studies of nursing homes have highlighted the importance of personalised palliative care. Nevertheless, we know little about whether everyday care practice involving assistant nurses and frail older persons accomplishes ethical encounters, especially in assisted bodily care. Therefore, the aim of this study was to understand and conceptualize the encounter between residents and assistant nurses in bodily care-situations at the end of life in a nursing home.

Methods

Focused ethnographic design was used. Residents and assistant nurses from one nursing home in an urban Swedish area participated in this study. Data were collected for 6 months and consisted of 170 h of fieldwork, including participant observation and interviews. Observations and digitally recorded interviews were analysed thematically. Five public community stakeholders contributed to the analysis by discussing preliminary results and clinical implications in a focus group.

Results

Four themes, each encompassing both barriers to and facilitators of ethical encounters in assisted bodily care, were identified: Coping with the impact of workplace demands; Interacting in dialogue and communication; Experiencing involvement in the provision of assisted bodily care; and Adapting to good care and comfort.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that accomplishing ethical encounters in assisted bodily care practice in a nursing home context has many barriers that are related to communication, relationships, and quality of care. Barriers included lack of resources, ineffective communication, and work values, which hinder ethical encounters. Nevertheless, moral sensitivity, genuine interest in resident engagement, and collaborative practices facilitated ethical encounters and are thus central to person-centred care. Uniquely, assistant nurses must be aware of their responsibility for performing their tasks in response to residents’ vulnerability. We therefore suggest that moral deliberation over issues of communication, compassion, decision-making, and behavior, with particular consideration for the care relationship. To further improve the quality of care, organisations must provide resources for the building of relationships, as well as time for assistant nurses to recover after long shifts. Additional research is warranted, including implementation of ethically grounded palliative care.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12904-022-01024-0.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Perceived Quality of Palliative Care in Nursing Homes

The Nursing Homes End-of-life Programme (NUHELP) was developed in 2017 and is based on quality standards of palliative care, but it was not implemented due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES

To describe perceptions among staff at nursing homes and primary health care (PHC) centres regarding the relevance, feasibility, and degree of achievement of quality standards for palliative care in nursing homes and to determine the differences in these perceptions before and after the pandemic.

METHODOLOGY

Cross-sectional descriptive study. Professionals at eight nursing homes and related PHC centres who participated in NUHELP development assessed 42 palliative care standards at two time points (2018 and 2022). The Mann-Whitney U test was applied to analyse differences in the scores between these two times and between perceptions at nursing homes and at PHC centres.

RESULTS

The study population consisted of 58 professionals in 2018 and 50 in 2022. The standard regarding communication with persons affected by the death of a family member was considered less relevant (p = 0.05), and that concerning the culturally sensitive and dignified treatment of the body was less fully achieved (p = 0.03) in 2022 than in 2018. Social support (p = 0.04), sharing information among the care team (p = 0.04), patient participation (p = 0.04) and information about the treatment provided (p = 0.03) were all more poorly achieved in 2022 than in 2018. The perceptions of nursing home and PHC workers differed in several respects.

CONCLUSIONS

Professional intercommunication and social support should be reinforced, and residents should be more actively involved in decision-making.

Professionals´ readiness for change to knowledge-based palliative care at nursing homes: a qualitative follow-up study after an educational intervention

Background

There has been a global increase in the number of people who are dying of old age. This development implies a need for good palliative care among older persons at the end of life. Here nursing homes have an important role to play. However, the principles of palliative care have not been sufficiently applied in nursing homes, and there is a need to increase the implementation of palliative care in these settings. Therefore the project named Implementation of Knowledge-Based Palliative Care in Nursing Homes (the KUPA project, to use its Swedish acronym) was started as a contribution to filling this knowledge gap. The aim of the present study was to investigate the professionals’ experiences of readiness for change to knowledge-based palliative care at nursing homes after the educational intervention within the KUPA project.

Methods

The focus group method was used to interview 39 health-care professionals with the aid of semistructured questions based on the Organizational Readiness for Change theoretical framework. Six focus groups were formed at six nursing homes in two counties in southern Sweden. The groups included different types of professionals: assistant nurses, nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and social workers. The analysis was conducted with an abductive approach and included deductive and inductive content analysis.

Results

The analysis revealed one overarching theme: hopeful readiness for change in palliative care despite remaining barriers. The main categories were increased knowledge facilitating development, enhanced team spirit, uncertainty about future plans connected with hopeful readiness and remaining organizational barriers.

Conclusions

This study adds knowledge and understanding concerning professionals’ readiness for change palliative care in nursing homes and shows how ready nursing home settings undertake these changes in practice. The Organizational Readiness for Change theory proved suitable for application in nursing homes to assess the professionals’ experiences and to evaluate educational interventions regardless of the organization’s readiness for change.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials NCT02708498, first registration 15/03/2016.

Quality of Life among Next of Kin of Frail Older People in Nursing Homes: An Interview Study after an Educational Intervention concerning Palliative Care

One cornerstone of palliative care is improving the family’s quality of life (QoL). The principles of palliative care have not been sufficiently applied in nursing homes. The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of QoL of next of kin of frail older persons in nursing homes after an educational intervention concerning palliative care. This qualitative interview study with 37 next of kin used an abductive design with deductive and inductive content analysis. The deductive analysis confirmed the three themes of QoL from the study before the implementation: (1) orientation to the new life-situation, (2) challenges in the relationship, and (3) the significance of the quality of care in the nursing home. The inductive analysis resulted in the sub-theme “Unspoken palliative care”. Being the next of kin of an older person living in a nursing home can be distressing despite round-the-clock care, so staff need to apply a more explicitly palliative care perspective. Future research needs to evaluate the influence of meaning-focused coping on next of kin’s QoL and integrate this knowledge in psychosocial interventions. Clinical Trial Database for Clinical Research: KUPA project NCT02708498.

Challenges Experienced by Italian Nursing Home Staff in End-of-Life Conversations with Family Caregivers during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

End-of-life conversations are among the most challenging of all communication scenarios and on the agenda of several healthcare settings, including nursing homes (NHs). They may be also difficult for experienced healthcare professionals (HCPs). This study explores the difficulties experienced by Italian NH staff in end-of-life conversations with family caregivers (FCs) during COVID-19 pandemic to uncover their educational needs. A qualitative descriptive study based on inductive thematic analysis was performed. Twenty-one HCPs across six Italian NHs were interviewed. Four themes described their experiences of end-of-life conversations: (1) communicating with FCs over the overall disease trajectory; (2) managing challenging emotions and situations; (3) establishing a partnership between HCPs and FCs; (4) addressing HCPs' communication skills needs. HCPs had to face multiple challenging situations that varied across the care period as well as complex emotions such as anxiety, guilt, uncertainty, fear, anger, or suffering, which required tailored answers. COVID-19 pandemic increased FCs' aggressive behaviors, their distrust, and uncertainty due to visitation restrictions. HCPs had to overcome this by developing a set of strategies, including adoption of an active-listening approach, supportive communication, and explicit acknowledgement of FCs' emotions. Since communication needs were mostly practical in nature, HCPs valued practical communication training.

The influence of care place and diagnosis on care communication at the end of life: bereaved family members' perspective

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the influence of care place and diagnosis on care communication during the last 3 months of life for people with advanced illness, from the bereaved family members' perspective.

METHOD

A retrospective survey design using the VOICES(SF) questionnaire with a sample of 485 bereaved family members (aged: 20-90 years old, 70% women) of people who died in hospital was employed to meet the study aim.

RESULTS

Of the deceased people, 79.2% had at some point received care at home, provided by general practitioners (GPs) (52%), district nurses (36.7%), or specialized palliative home care (17.9%), 27.4% were cared for in a nursing home and 15.7% in a specialized palliative care unit. The likelihood of bereaved family members reporting that the deceased person was treated with dignity and respect by the staff was lowest in nursing homes (OR: 0.21) and for GPs (OR: 0.37). A cancer diagnosis (OR: 2.36) or if cared for at home (OR: 2.17) increased the likelihood of bereaved family members reporting that the deceased person had been involved in decision making regarding care and less likely if cared for in a specialized palliative care unit (OR: 0.41). The likelihood of reports of unwanted decisions about the care was higher if cared for in a nursing home (OR: 1.85) or if the deceased person had a higher education (OR: 2.40).

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

This study confirms previous research about potential inequalities in care at the end of life. The place of care and diagnosis influenced the bereaved family members' reports on whether the deceased person was treated with respect and dignity and how involved the deceased person was in decision making regarding care.

Until death do us part Adult children's perspective of their parents' transition from living at home to moving into a nursing home and the time after death

BACKGROUND

Adult children are often key carers of frail older parents providing care for a long period of time in different care contexts. However, research concerning adult children's caregiving experiences, from providing home-based care to facing the death of a parent in a nursing home is sparse. Thus, the aim was to explore the transition from living at home to moving into and living in a nursing home and the time after death from the perspective of next of kin to an older person.

METHODS

A qualitative design using individual interviews with 15 adult children of older persons. The text was analysed using inductive content analysis.

RESULTS

One main category was identified, until death do us part. With three generic categories, living at home, living at a nursing home and time after death, and eight sub-categories. The results describe the transition when an older person lives at home and moves into and lives in a nursing home and the time after death from the perspective of next of kin.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights many examples of tasks that adult children provide over a long period of time and in different care contexts since they felt that professional care was unable to provide safe and secure care for their older parents. It also highlights the importance for staff to recognize the support that next of kin provide. Furthermore, the study reveal that staff do not offer the relief that they are obligated to provide, to enable next of kin coping with this strenuous transition in life. First after the parent died, there was time for relief since the worrying and the doing of practical things for the parent had stopped.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Current Controlled Trials NCT02708498 ; date of registration: 26 February 2016.

Professionals' Expectations and Preparedness to Implement Knowledge-Based Palliative Care at Nursing Homes before an Educational Intervention: A Focus Group Interview Study

The provision of knowledge-based palliative care is rare in nursing homes. There are obstacles to practically performing this because it can be difficult to identify when the final stage of life begins for older persons. Educational interventions in palliative care in nursing homes are a challenge, and joint efforts are needed in an organisation, including preparedness. The aim was to explore professionals' expectations and preparedness to implement knowledge-based palliative care in nursing homes before an educational intervention. This study has a qualitative focus group design, and a total of 48 professionals working in nursing homes were interviewed with a semi-structured interview guide. Qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach was used for the analysis. One major theme was identified: professionals were hopeful yet doubtful about the organisation's readiness. The main categories of increased knowledge, consensus in the team, and a vision for the future illustrate the hopefulness, while insufficient resources and prioritisation illustrate the doubts about the organisation's readiness. This study contributes valuable knowledge about professionals' expectations and preparedness, which are essential for researchers to consider in the planning phase of an implementation study. The successful implementation of changes needs to involve strategies that circumvent the identified obstacles to organisations' readiness.

Benefits, for patients with late stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, of being cared for in specialized palliative care compared to hospital. A nationwide register study

BACKGROUND

In early stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), dyspnea has been reported as the main symptom; but at the end of life, patients dying from COPD have a heavy symptom burden. Still, specialist palliative care is seldom offered to patients with COPD; they more often receive end of life care in hospitals. Furthermore, symptoms, symptom relief and care activities in the last week of life for COPD patients are rarely studied. The aim of this study was to compare patient and care characteristics in late stage COPD patients treated in specialized palliative care (SPC) versus hospital.

METHODS

Two nationwide registers were merged, the Swedish National Airway Register (SNAR) and the Swedish Register of Palliative Care (SRPC). Patients with COPD and < 50% of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), who had died in inpatient or outpatient SPC (n = 159) or in hospital (n = 439), were identified. Clinical COPD characteristics were extracted from the SNAR, and end of life (EOL) care characteristics from the SRPC. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample and the registered care and treatments. Independent samples t-test, Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test and Fisher's exact test was used to compare variables. To examine predictors of place of death, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed with a dependent variable with demographic and clinical variables used as independent variables.

RESULTS

The patients in hospitals were older and more likely to have heart failure or hypertension. Pain was more frequently reported and relieved in SPC than in hospitals (p = 0.001). Rattle, anxiety, delirium and nausea were reported at similar frequencies between the settings; but rattle, anxiety, delirium, and dyspnea were more frequently relieved in SPC (all p < 0.001). Compared to hospital, SPC was more often the preferred place of care (p < 0.001). In SPC, EOL discussions with patients and families were more frequently held than in hospital (p < 0.001). Heart failure increased the probability of dying in hospital while lung cancer increased the probability of dying in SPC.

CONCLUSION

This study provides evidence for referring more COPD patients to SPC, which is more focused on symptom management and psychosocial and existential support.

Despite Symptom Severity, do Nursing Home Residents Experience Joy-of-Life? The Associations Between Joy-of-Life and Symptom Severity in Norwegian Nursing Home Residents

Background: Finding new approaches to increase health and well-being among nursing home (NH) residents is highly warranted. From a holistic perspective, several Norwegian municipalities have implemented the certification scheme framed "Joy-of-Life Nursing Home" Aims: In a holistic perspective on NH care, this study investigated if NH residents despite potential symptom severity experience joy-of-life (JoL). Therefore, we examined the frequency of common symptoms and the association between common symptoms and JoL in cognitively intact NH residents. Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed. Using the QLQ-C15-PAL quality-of-life questionnaire, hospital anxiety and depression scale, and JoL scale, a total of 188 cognitively intact NH residents participated. Results: Symptom severity was high; 54% reported fatigue, 52% reported constipation, 45% reported pain, 43% reported dyspnea, 32% reported insomnia, 22% reported appetite loss, and 20% reported nausea, while 20% reported anxiety and 23% reported depressive symptoms. Nevertheless, 59% of the NH residents reported high JoL, which was significantly positively related to the quality of life and negatively associated with anxiety and depression.

Documentation of older people's end-of-life care in the context of specialised palliative care: a retrospective review of patient records

Background

Palliative care focuses on identifying, from a holistic perspective, the needs of those experiencing problems associated with life-threatening illnesses. As older people approach the end of their lives, they can experience a complex series of problems that health-care professionals must identify and document in their patients’ records. Documentation is thus important for ensuring high-quality patient care. Previous studies of documentation in older people’s patient records performed in various care contexts have shown that such documentation almost exclusively concerns physical problems. This study explores, in the context of Swedish specialised palliative care, the content of documentation in older people’s patient records, focusing on documented problems, wishes, aspects of wellbeing, use of assessment tools, interventions, and documentation associated with the person’s death.

Methods

A retrospective review based on randomly selected records (n = 92) of older people receiving specialised palliative care, at home or in a palliative in-patient ward, who died in 2017. A review template was developed based on the literature and on a review of sampled records of patients who died the preceding year. The template was checked for inter-rater agreement and used to code all clinical notes in the patients’ records. Data were processed using descriptive statistics.

Results

The most common clinical notes in older people’s patient records concerned interventions (n = 16,031, 71%), mostly related to pharmacological interventions (n = 4318, 27%). The second most common clinical notes concerned problems (n = 2804, 12%), pain being the most frequent, followed by circulatory, nutrition, and anxiety problems. Clinical notes concerning people’s wishes and wellbeing-related details were documented, but not frequently. Symptom assessment tools, except for pain assessments, were rarely used. More people who received care in palliative in-patient wards died alone than did people who received care in their own homes.

Conclusions

Identifying and documenting the complexity of problems in a more structured and planned way could be a method for implementing a more holistic approach to end-of-life care. Using patient-reported outcome measures capturing more than one symptom or problem, and a systematic documentation structure would help in identifying unmet needs and developing holistic documentation of end-of-life care.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12904-021-00771-w.

A third of dying patients do not have end-of-life discussions with a physician: A nationwide registry study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to explore the proportion of adult patients and next-of-kin who had end-of-life (EOL) discussions and associated factors.

METHOD

A retrospective nationwide registry study was reported with data from the Swedish Register of Palliative Care. All patients in Sweden in hospitals, nursing homes, own homes, community, and palliative care units during 2015-2017 and their next-of-kin were included. Data were reported to the register by healthcare staff, based on diseased patients' records regarding their last days of life, and were voluntary. Descriptive statistics illustrated the proportion of patients/next-of-kin who had EOL discussions and logistic regressions were used to examine associated factors.

RESULTS

About half of the patients (46%) did have an EOL discussion, but a third (32%) did not. Associated factors of those who did not have an EOL discussion were dementia (48.5%) or stroke (47.5%), older age (38.4%), being female (33.6%), being cared for in a nursing home (41.3%), or hospital (40.3%), having lost decision-making ability months before death (58.9%), and not having a documented decision to shift to EOL care (82.7%). Younger patients diagnosed with cancer and cared for at a palliative unit were more likely to have EOL discussions. The regression analysis showed similar results for next-of-kin.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

The result shows that not all patients with palliative care needs have equal access to EOL discussions, despite efforts at a national level and the recognized benefits of timely communication about the EOL care. Further efforts must be made to achieve EOL discussions for all patients.

End-of-life discussions in residential care homes improves symptom control: a national register study

BACKGROUND

In Europe, residential care homes (RCHs) rather than hospitals are the most common care facilities for the older adult and the place where most deaths occur in this age group. There is a lack of knowledge regarding end-of-life (EOL) discussions and how they correlate with symptoms and symptom relief.

OBJECTIVE

The aim was to examine the correlation between EOL discussions and symptom occurrence, symptom relief and prescriptions or PRN drugs against symptoms for care home residents.

METHODS

All expected deaths at RCHs from 1 October 2015 to 31 December 2016 and registered in the Swedish Register of Palliative Care were included. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to compare the RCH residents, or their family members, who had received documented EOL discussions with a physician (the EOL discussion group) and the non-EOL discussion group.

RESULTS

The EOL discussion group (n=17 071) had a higher prevalence of pain, nausea, anxiety, death rattles and shortness of breath reported, compared with the non-EOL discussion group (n=4164). Those with symptoms were more often completely relieved and had more often been prescribed PRN drugs against that symptom in the EOL discussion group. All differences remained significant when adjusting for age, time living in unit and cause of death.

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that EOL discussions are correlated with higher prevalence of symptoms, but also with better symptom relief and prescription of symptom drugs PRN when symptomatic. A possible explanation for this is that the EOL discussion can work as an opportunity to discuss symptoms and treatment for symptom relief.

Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Quality of Dying in Long-Term Care Scale (QoD-LTC) for Spanish Nursing Homes

BACKGROUND

There is a need for instruments that can evaluate the psychosocial quality of dying in nursing homes. The aim of this study was to adapt and validate the Quality of Dying in Long-Term Care scale (QoD-LTC) to the Spanish context.

METHODS

Descriptive cross-sectional study. Fourteen nurses from 7 facilities in southern Spain assessed 153 residents who died in the centers; validity, reliability, and feasibility were evaluated.

RESULTS

The Spanish version consists of 11 items with acceptable reliability (α = 0.681). Three factors model was validated by principal components analysis. A mean of 180.62 (SD = 86.66) seconds is needed to fill it in. An inter-observer 0.753 (95% CI: 0.391-0.900, p< 0.001) and intra-observer 0.855 (95% CI: 0.568-0.951 p = 0.001) reliability were observed. Weak correlation was observed; positive with mono-item question (0.322) and negative with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) with a value of (-0.321) and Integrated Palliative outcome scale (IPOS) with a value of (-0.252).

CONCLUSIONS

The QoD-LTC scale presents an adequate factorial structure, internal consistency, and feasibility to evaluate psychosocial quality of dying in nursing homes. It can be used as a quality indicator.

Dying from COVID-19 in nursing homes-sex differences in symptom occurrence

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is a disease with diverse presentation. Several studies have shown different occurrence of symptoms for women and men, but no studies have been found examining sex differences in clinical presentation for nursing home residents dying from COVID-19.

The objective of this study was to describe sex and age differences and the impact of a dementia diagnosis on symptom occurrence during the last week in life for persons dying from COVID-19 in nursing homes.

Methods

This is a population-based retrospective study based on data from the Swedish Register of Palliative Care. A total of 1994 residents aged 65 or older who died from COVID-19 in nursing homes were identified. The impact of sex, age and a dementia diagnosis on six different symptoms was analysed using chi2-test and multivariate logistic regression.

Results

Residents dying from COVID-19 were more often men (p < .002). Men more often had dyspnoea and death rattles (p < .001). Nausea was more common in women (p < .001). No sex differences in the occurrence of pain, anxiety or confusion were seen. Dyspnoea and nausea were less commonly reported in residents with dementia (p < .001).

Conclusions

We found sex differences in symptom presentation for fatal COVID-19 in nursing home settings which remained after adjusting for age. Residents with a dementia diagnosis had fewer symptoms reported before death compared to those without dementia.

Clinical presentation of fatal COVID-19 differs between women and men in nursing homes. Residents with fatal COVID-19 present with more unspecific and less prominent symptoms when also suffering from dementia.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-021-02228-4.

A New Approach to the Identification of Palliative Care Needs and Advanced Chronic Patients among Nursing Home Residents

Background: Proper planning of Palliative Care in nursing homes requires advanced knowledge of the care needs that residents show. The aim of the study was to evaluate Palliative Needs and other conditions such as fragility, complexity, and prognosis and also to suggest new indicators for the establishment of the resident’s advanced chronic condition. Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted in 149 nursing homes Complex Chronic residents evaluated by trained professionals. Palliative Care Needs, assessed by the NECPAL ICO-CCOMS© tool, and fragility, case and palliative complexity and prognosis were evaluate through a comprehensive assessment. Descriptive analyses and association measures were performed setting the statistical significance at 0.05. Results: More than 50% of the residents had positive Surprise Question and other Palliative Needs and were classified as Advanced Chronic Patients. Distress and/or Severe Adaptative Disorder was the most frequent need shown by the residents and significant differences in levels of frailty and other characteristics, were found between the Positive and the Negative Surprise Question Groups. Statistically significant correlations were also found between aspects of both groups. Conclusions: Nursing homes residents show Palliative Needs regardless of the response to the Surprise Question of the NECPAL tool. Other characteristics such as presence of an intermediate level of frailty are suggested as a new perspective to identify advanced chronic patients among nursing homes residents.

Frailty, Complexity, and Priorities in the Use of Advanced Palliative Care Resources in Nursing Homes

Background and objectives: This study aimed to determine the frailty, prognosis, complexity, and palliative care complexity of nursing home residents with palliative care needs and define the characteristics of the cases eligible for receiving advanced palliative care according to the resources available at each nursing home. Materials and Methods: In this multi-centre, descriptive, and cross-sectional study, trained nurses from eight nursing homes in southern Spain selected 149 residents with palliative care needs. The following instruments were used: the Frail-VIG index, the case complexity index (CCI), the Diagnostic Instrument of Complexity in Palliative Care (IDC-Pal), the palliative prognosis index, the Barthel index (dependency), Pfeiffer's test (cognitive impairment), and the Charlson comorbidity index. A consensus was reached on the complexity criteria of the Diagnostic Instrument of Complexity in Palliative Care that could be addressed in the nursing home (no priority) and those that required a one-off (priority 2) or full (priority 1) intervention of advanced palliative care resources. Non-parametric tests were used to compare non-priority patients and patients with some kind of priority. Results: A high percentage of residents presented frailty (80.6%), clinical complexity (80.5%), and palliative care complexity (65.8%). A lower percentage of residents had a poor prognosis (10.1%) and an extremely poor prognosis (2%). Twelve priority 1 and 14 priority 2 elements were identified as not matching the palliative care complexity elements that had been previously identified. Of the studied cases, 20.1% had priority 1 status and 38.3% had priority 2 status. Residents with some kind of priority had greater levels of dependency (p < 0.001), cognitive impairment (p < 0.001), and poorer prognoses (p < 0.001). Priority 1 patients exhibited higher rates of refractory delirium (p = 0.003), skin ulcers (p = 0.041), and dyspnoea (p = 0.020). Conclusions: The results indicate that there are high levels of frailty, clinical complexity, and palliative care complexity in nursing homes. The resources available at each nursing home must be considered to determine when advanced palliative care resources are required.

Were Clinical Routines for Good End-of-Life Care Maintained in Hospitals and Nursing Homes During the First Three Months of the Outbreak of COVID-19? A National Register Study

CONTEXT

Although the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic might affect important clinical routines, few studies have focused on the maintenance of good quality in end-of-life care.

OBJECTIVES

The objective was to examine whether adherence to clinical routines for good end-of-life care differed for deaths because of COVID-19 compared with a reference cohort from 2019 and whether they differed between nursing homes and hospitals.

METHODS

Data about five items reflecting clinical routines for persons who died an expected death from COVID-19 during the first three months of the pandemic (March-May 2020) were collected from the Swedish Register of Palliative Care. The items were compared between the COVID-19 group and the reference cohort and between the nursing home and hospital COVID-19 deaths.

RESULTS

About 1316 expected deaths were identified in nursing homes and 685 in hospitals. Four of the five items differed for total COVID-19 group compared with the reference cohort: fewer were examined by a physician during the last days before death, pain and oral health were less likely to be assessed, and fewer had a specialized palliative care team consultation (P < 0.0001, respectively). Assessment of symptoms other than pain did not differ significantly. The five items differed between the nursing homes and hospitals in the COVID-19 group, most notably regarding the proportion of persons examined by a physician during the last days (nursing homes: 18%; hospitals: 100%).

CONCLUSION

This national register study shows that several clinical routines for end-of-life care did not meet the usual standards during the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden. Higher preparedness for and monitoring of end-of-life care quality should be integrated into future pandemic plans.

Older persons' thoughts about death and dying and their experiences of care in end-of-life: a qualitative study

Background

Few studies have focused on how older persons living in nursing homes perceive their last period of life. Furthermore, previous research on older persons’ perceptions of death and dying is limited. Hence, there is an urgent need to explore their experiences during their final period in life.

Aim

To explore thoughts about death and dying and experiences of care in end-of-life among older persons living in nursing homes.

Methods

This study employed a qualitative approach including individual interviews with 36 older persons living in Swedish nursing homes. Questions related to quality of life; physical health; thoughts about death, dying, and the future; and experiences related to the living condition and environment were asked. The interview transcripts were analysed through content analysis. The study was approved by the Regional Ethics Review Board (reference number: 2015/4).

Results

The analysis resulted in the identification of three main thematic categories: The unavoidable and unknown end of life, Thoughts on control and Living your last period of life at a nursing home. The older persons did not fear death itself but had some worries about dying. Spending the last stage of life at a nursing home contributed to different thoughts and feelings among the older persons. With a few exceptions, older persons characterized life at the nursing home as boring and felt they were surrounded by people who did not belong there.

Conclusions

This study indicates a need for older persons to talk about death, dying and end-life issues. Furthermore, this study highlighted that the co-residence of cognitively healthy persons and persons with dementia in the same ward adversely affected cognitively healthy persons. This situation resulted in there being not enough time to both handle the care needs of persons with dementia and have the conversations that cognitively healthy persons desired, such as conversations about thoughts about existence, that could have improved their quality of life.

Trial registration

NCT02708498 Date of registration 16 February 2016.

Original Research: Understanding Nursing Home Staff Attitudes Toward Death and Dying: A Survey

BACKGROUND

Nearly 70% of nursing home residents are eligible for palliative care, yet few receive formal palliative care outside of hospice. Little is known about nursing home staff attitudes, knowledge, skills, and behaviors related to palliative care.

METHODS

We administered a modified survey measuring attitudes toward death to 146 nursing home staff members, including both clinical and nonclinical staff, from 14 nursing homes.

RESULTS

Nursing home staff generally reported feeling comfortable caring for the dying, but half believed the end of life is a time of great suffering. Pain control (63%), loneliness (52%), and depression (48%) were the most important issues identified with regard to these patients, and there was ambivalence about the use of strong pain medications and the utility of feeding tubes at the end of life. Top priorities identified for improving palliative care included greater family involvement (43%), education and training in pain control (50%) and in management of other symptoms (37%), and use of a palliative care team (35%) at their facility.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings show there is a need for more palliative care training and education, which should be built on current staff knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward palliative care.

[The significance of home care in caring for the elderly in their twilight years: the human perspective of the SUS professional]

The access to healthcare of elderly individuals in their twilight years needing palliative care in the home serve as a wake-up call in terms of current healthcare programs and strategies. This study seeks to analyze the relevance of home visits within the scope of primary healthcare actions for the elderly from the standpoint of professionals of the Unified Health System (SUS). It is a study with a qualitative theoretical and methodological approach, involving comprehensive research together with 12 health professionals, based on the thinking of German philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer. The data were systematized and analyzed using the Content Analysis method and interpreted by means of philosophical hermeneutics. It is perceived that home visits for the elderly are somewhat stressful, albeit effective, which generate human processes of trust and collective action for care with respect to the condition of others. The consensus of home visits embraces the dialogical reflection of the representation of human care and solidarity in the work of SUS. It is believed that this study will provide guidelines such that primary care managers may reflect on how important, necessary, and stressful the performance of home care in the Brazilian reality is in practice.

Opioid underuse in terminal care of long-term care facility residents with pain and/or dyspnoea: A cross-sectional PACE-survey in six European countries

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Opioids relieve symptoms in terminal care. We studied opioid underuse in long-term care facilities, defined as residents without opioid prescription despite pain and/or dyspnoea, 3 days prior to death.

DESIGN AND SETTING

In a proportionally stratified randomly selected sample of long-term care facilities in six European Union countries, nurses and long-term care facility management completed structured after-death questionnaires within 3 months of residents' death.

MEASUREMENTS

Nurses assessed pain/dyspnoea with Comfort Assessment in Dying with Dementia scale and checked opioid prescription by chart review. We estimated opioid underuse per country and per symptom and calculated associations of opioid underuse by multilevel, multivariable analysis.

RESULTS

Nurses' response rate was 81.6%, 95.7% for managers. Of 901 deceased residents with pain/dyspnoea reported in the last week, 10.6% had dyspnoea, 34.4% had pain and 55.0% had both symptoms. Opioid underuse per country was 19.2% (95% confidence interval: 12.9-27.2) in the Netherlands, 25.2% (18.3-33.6) in Belgium, 29.3% (16.9-45.8) in England, 33.7% (26.2-42.2) in Finland, 64.6% (52.0-75.4) in Italy and 79.1% (71.2-85.3) in Poland (p < 0.001). Opioid underuse was 57.2% (33.0-78.4) for dyspnoea, 41.2% (95% confidence interval: 21.9-63.8) for pain and 37.4% (19.4-59.6) for both symptoms (p = 0.013). Odds of opioid underuse were lower (odds ratio: 0.33; 95% confidence interval: 0.20-0.54) when pain was assessed.

CONCLUSION

Opioid underuse differs between countries. Pain and dyspnoea should be formally assessed at the end-of-life and taken into account in physicians orders.

Symptom prevalence and management in older adult patients in Lebanon

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to explore symptoms and the effectiveness of their management in older adult palliative care candidates in Lebanon. The aims of this study were to: (1) determine symptom prevalence in Lebanese older adults who qualify for palliative care; (2) identify the severity and distress of symptoms; (3) identify the prevalence of symptom management and its efficacy; and (4) explore the relationship between overall symptom burden and its correlates.

METHOD

This study uses an observational cross-sectional design using convenience sampling (N = 203) to recruit older adults qualifying for palliative care from three major medical centers in Lebanon.

RESULT

The mean age of the sample was 78.61 years. The most prevalent symptoms were lack of energy (93.5%), worrying (83.2%), and pain (71.4%). Psychological symptoms had the highest mean scores, preceded only by the physical symptoms and lack of energy. The most treated symptoms were physical with pain having the highest treatment prevalence (91%). Although psychological symptoms were the most burdensome, they were poorly treated. Multiple regression analysis showed that symptom scores had significant positive associations with financial status, social functioning, and comorbidities; there was a negative association with age.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

Lack of energy and psychological symptoms were the most prevalent, with the latter having the highest mean total symptom scores. Treatment was poor for psychological symptoms and effective for physical ones. Associations were found between age, comorbidity, financial problems, social functioning, and total physical and psychological mean symptom burden scores. More attention needs to be given to psychological symptoms and their management among older adults receiving palliative care.

Prospective Evaluation of Intensity of Symptoms, Therapeutic Procedures and Treatment in Palliative Care Patients in Nursing Homes

The aim of the study is to evaluate the intensity of symptoms, and any treatment and therapeutic procedures received by advanced chronic patients in nursing homes. A multi-centre prospective study was conducted in six nursing homes for five months. A nurse trainer selected palliative care patients from whom the sample was randomly selected for inclusion. The Edmonton Symptoms Assessment Scale, therapeutic procedures, and treatment were evaluated. Parametric and non-parametric tests were used to evaluate month-to-month differences and differences between those who died and those who did not. A total of 107 residents were evaluated. At the end of the follow-up, 39 had (34.6%) died. All symptoms (p < 0.050) increased in intensity in the last week of life. Symptoms were more intense in those who had died at follow-up (p < 0.05). The use of aerosol sprays (p = 0.008), oxygen therapy (p < 0.001), opioids (p < 0.001), antibiotics (p = 0.004), and bronchodilators (p = 0.003) increased in the last week of life. Peripheral venous catheters (p = 0.022), corticoids (p = 0.007), antiemetics (p < 0.001), and antidepressants (p < 0.05) were used more in the patients who died. In conclusion, the use of therapeutic procedures (such as urinary catheters, peripheral venous catheter placement, and enteral feeding) and drugs (such as antibiotics, anxiolytics, and new antidepressant prescriptions) should be carefully considered in this clinical setting.

Palliative Care Symptoms, Outcomes, and Interventions for Chronic Advanced Patients in Spanish Nursing Homes with and without Dementia

The aim of this study was to compare the symptomatology, palliative care outcomes, therapeutic procedures, diagnostic tests, and pharmacological treatments for people with dementia (PWD) and without dementia (PW/OD) admitted to Spanish nursing homes.

DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional study which is part of a long-term prospective follow-up of elderly people performed in nursing homes to measure end-of-life care processes.

PARTICIPANTS

107 nursing home patients with advanced or terminal chronic diseases were selected according to the criteria of the Palliative Care Spanish Society.

SETTING

Two trained nurses from each nursing home were responsible for participant selection and data collection. They must have treated the residents and had a minimum seniority of 6 months in the nursing home.

MEASUREMENTS

Sociodemographic data; Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale; Palliative Care Outcome Scale; and prevalence of diagnostic tests, pharmacological treatments, and therapeutic procedures were evaluated.

RESULTS

Pain, fatigue, and nausea were found to be significantly higher in the nondementia group and insomnia, poor appetite, and drowsiness were significantly higher in the dementia group. Patient anxiety, support, feeling that life was worth living, self-worth, and practical matters management were higher in the nondementia group. Regarding drugs, use of corticoids was higher in the nondementia group, while use of anxiolytics was higher in the dementia group. Diagnostic procedures such as urine analysis and X-ray were higher in the dementia group.

CONCLUSIONS

Differences in symptom perception, diagnostic tests, and pharmacological procedures were found between patients with and without dementia. Specific diagnostic tools need to be developed for patients with dementia.

Measuring next of kin's experience of participation in the care of older people in nursing homes

BACKGROUND

Lack of conceptual clarity and measurement methods have led to underdeveloped efforts to measure experience of participation in care by next of kin to older people in nursing homes.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to assess the measurement properties of items aimed at operationalizing participation in care by next of kin, applied in nursing homes.

METHODS

A total of 37 items operationalizing participation were administered via a questionnaire to 364 next of kin of older people in nursing homes. Measurement properties were tested with factor analysis and Rasch model analysis.

RESULTS

The response rate to the questionnaire was 81% (n = 260). Missing responses per item varied between <0.5% and 10%. The 37 items were found to be two-dimensional, and 19 were deleted based on conceptual reasoning and Rasch model analysis. One dimension measured communication and trust (nine items, reliability 0.87) while the other measured collaboration in care (nine items, reliability 0.91). Items successfully operationalized a quantitative continuum from lower to higher degrees of participation, and were found to generally fit well with the Rasch model requirements, without disordered thresholds or differential item functioning. Total scores could be calculated based on the bifactor subscale structure (reliability 0.92). Older people (≥ 65 years) reported a higher degree of communication and trust and bifactor total scores than younger people (p < 0.05 in both cases). People with a specific contact person experienced a higher degree of participation in the two subscales and the bifactor total score (p < 0.05 in all three instances).

CONCLUSION

Psychometric properties revealed satisfactory support for use, in nursing home settings, of the self-reported Next of Kin Participation in Care questionnaire, with a bifactor structure. Additional research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the scales' abilities to identify changes after intervention.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The KUPA project has Clinical Trials number NCT02708498.

Evaluating person-centredness for frail older persons in nursing homes before and after implementing a palliative care intervention

Aim

To evaluate person-centeredness in nursing homes from the perspective of frail older persons, before and after implementing an educational intervention about palliative care.

Design

A crossover design.

Methods

Forty-four older persons living in nursing homes were interviewed. A convergent mixed-method was used to analyse data.

Results

The older persons expressed feelings of unsafety related to shortcomings in staff. These shortcomings implied that the responsibilities of everyday activities and making the residents' existence more bearable were transferred to the next of kin. The dropout rate related to death and not enough energy was considerably high (51%) even though one of the inclusion criteria was to have enough energy to manage a 1-hr interview. This result supports previous research describing the difficulties in retaining older persons in research and indicated that the dose of the intervention was not sufficient to improve person-centred care.

Next of kin's quality of life before and after implementation of a knowledge-based palliative care intervention in nursing homes

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether an educational palliative care intervention improved the quality of life for next of kin to older persons in nursing homes.

METHODS

Altogether, 90 next of kin in the intervention group and 105 next of kin in the control group were included. Data were collected using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, answered before and 3 months after the intervention was completed. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed.

RESULTS

This study found a statistically significant increase in the Physical health subscale in the intervention group but not in the control group. In contrast, the General health score decreased in the control group but not in the implementation group. Furthermore, we found an increase in the item able to perform activities of daily living in the intervention group and a decrease in the item energy and fatigue in the control group.

CONCLUSION

The results indicated small statistical changes regarding next of kins' QoL in favour of the intervention. Lessons learned from the study for future research are to include next of kin as participants at meetings about next of kin and to include more meetings about the theme next of kin. Both approaches would bring a stronger focus on the family-centred care aspect of the intervention into the education component, which this study indicates the need for.

TRIAL REGISTRY

Trial registration NCT02708498. Date of registration 26 February 2016.

Quality of life of older persons in nursing homes after the implementation of a knowledge-based palliative care intervention

BACKGROUND

The goals of palliative care are to relieve suffering and promote quality of life. Palliative care for older persons has been less prioritised than palliative care for younger people with cancer, which may lead to unnecessary suffering and decreased quality of life at the final stage of life.

AIM

To evaluate whether a palliative care intervention had any influence on the perceived quality of life of older persons (≥65 years).

METHODS

This study was conducted as a complex intervention performed with an experimental crossover design. The intervention was implemented in 20 nursing homes, with a six-month intervention period in each nursing home. Twenty-three older persons (≥65 years) in the intervention group and 29 in the control group were interviewed using the WHOQOL-BREF and WHOQOL-OLD questionnaires at both baseline and follow-up. The collected data were analysed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test to compare paired data between baseline and follow-up.

RESULTS

In the intervention group, no statistically significant increases in quality of life were found. This result contrasted with the control group, which revealed statistically significant declines in quality of life at both the dimension and item levels. Accordingly, this study showed a trend of decreased health after nine months in both the intervention and control groups.

CONCLUSION

It is reasonable to believe that quality of life decreases with age as part of the natural course of the ageing process. However, it seems that the palliative care approach of the intervention prevented unnecessary quality of life decline by supporting sensory abilities, autonomy and social participation among older persons in nursing homes. From the ageing perspective, it may not be realistic to strive for an increased quality of life in older people living in nursing homes; maybe the goal should be to delay or prevent reduced quality of life. Based on this perspective, the intervention prevented decline in quality of life in nursing home residents.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The high number of deaths shows the importance to identify palliative care needs in older persons at an early stage to prevent or delay deterioration of quality of life.

Being the next of kin of an older person living in a nursing home: an interview study about quality of life

Background

The length of stay in nursing homes before death in Sweden has significantly decreased, and nearly one-third of people die within 6 weeks of entering a nursing home. Support for the next of kin is one of the cornerstones of palliative care, but the principles are not always adhered to as recommended when caring for the elderly, which can affect the quality of life of their next of kin. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of quality of life among the next of kin of older persons who live in nursing homes before an educational intervention of palliative care.

Methods

This is an explorative qualitative interview study with 40 next of kin using qualitative content analysis performed at baseline before the implementation of the principles of palliative care in nursing homes.

Results

The next of kin’s experiences of quality of life were expressed in three themes: Orientation to the new life situation, Challenges in their relationship and the Significance of the quality of care in the nursing home. The next of kin experienced a sense of relief, although the older person was constantly on their minds, and they could feel lonely. The difference in the couple’slife situations was experienced as burdensome by the next of kin. The challenges in the relationship were described as stressful, related to a guilty conscience and the older person’s vulnerability. The nursing home could be a context facilitating good relations. The perceptions of quality of care in terms of person-centredness affected the quality of life of the next of kin.

Conclusions

The findings show that four factors are decisive for the quality of life of next of kin: the relationships within the family, the degree of relief that nursing home care entails as compared to home care, the older person’s health status and whether the care is person-centred. Increased knowledge and education regarding palliative care in nursing homes are needed to better meet the needs of next of kin. Implementation of palliative care should take into account the need for support for next of kin.

Trial registration

NCT02708498, 15 March 2016.

Symptom relief during last week of life in neurological diseases

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to investigate symptom prevalence, symptom relief, and palliative care indicators during the last week of life, comparing them for patients with motor neuron disease (MND), central nervous system tumors (CNS tumor), and other neurological diseases (OND).

MATERIAL & METHODS

Data were obtained from the Swedish Register for Palliative Care, which documents care during the last week of life. Logistic regression was used to compare patients with MND (n = 419), CNS tumor (n = 799), and OND (n = 1,407) as the cause of death.

RESULTS

The most prevalent symptoms for all neurological disease groups were pain (52.7% to 72.2%) and rattles (58.1% to 65.6%). Compared to MND and OND, patients with CNS tumors were more likely to have totally relieved pain, shortness of breath, rattles, and anxiety. They were also more likely to have their pain assessed with a validated tool; to receive symptom treatment for anxiety, nausea, rattles, and pain; to have had family members receive end-of-life discussions; to have someone present at death; and to have had their family members offered bereavement support. Both patients with CNS tumor and MND were more likely than patients with OND to receive consultation with a pain unit and to have had end-of-life discussions.

CONCLUSIONS

The study reveals high symptom burden and differences in palliative care between the groups during the last week of life. There is a need for person-centered care planning based on a palliative approach, focused on improving symptom assessments, relief, and end-of-life conversations.

Evaluation of person-centeredness in nursing homes after a palliative care intervention: pre- and post-test experimental design

BACKGROUND

The needs of care based on palliative principles are stressed for all people with progressive and/or life-limiting conditions, regardless of age and the place in which care is provided. Person-centred palliative care strives to make the whole person visible and prioritizes the satisfaction of spiritual, existential, social, and psychological needs to the same extent as physical needs. However, person-centred palliative care for older persons in nursing homes seems to be sparse, possibly because staff in nursing homes do not have sufficient knowledge, skills, and training in managing symptoms and other aspects of palliative care.

METHODS

This study aimed to evaluate whether an educational intervention had any effect on the staff's perception of providing person-centred palliative care for older persons in nursing homes.

METHODS

A knowledge-based palliative care intervention consisting of five 2-h seminars during a 6-month period was implemented at 20 nursing homes in Sweden. In total, 365 staff members were participated, 167 in the intervention group and 198 in the control group. Data were collected using two questionnaires, the Person-centred Care Assessment Tool (P-CAT) and the Person-Centred Climate Questionnaire (PCQ-S), answered before (baseline) and 3 months after (follow-up) the educational intervention was completed. Descriptive, comparative, and univariate logistical regression analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Both the intervention group and the control group revealed high median scores in all subscales at baseline, except for the subscale amount of organizational and environmental support in the P-CAT. The staff's high rating level of person-centred care before the intervention provides limited space for further improvements at follow-up.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that staff perceived that managers' and the organization's amount of support to them in their everyday work was the only area for improvement in order to maintain person-centred care. The experiences among staff are crucial knowledge in understanding how palliative care can be made person-centred in spite of often limited resources in nursing homes. The dose and intensity of education activities of the intervention model need to be tested in future research to develop the most effective implementation model.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT02708498 . Date of registration 26 February 2016.

Integrated Palliative Care for Nursing Home Residents: Exploring the Challenges in the Collaboration between Nursing Homes, Home Care and Hospitals

INTRODUCTION

Nursing home residents are a vulnerable and frail segment of the population, characterised by their complex and palliative care needs. To ensure an integrated approach to palliative care for this target group, working on a collaborative basis with multiple providers across organisational boundaries is necessary. Considering that coordinators of palliative networks support and coordinate collaboration, the research question is: 'how do network coordinators perceive the process of collaboration between organisations in Flemish palliative networks?'

METHODS

A dual-phase sequential mixed-methods design was applied. First, the coordinators of each of the fifteen palliative networks in Flanders completed a survey in which they evaluated ten aspects of collaboration for two types of cooperation: between nursing homes and home care, and between nursing homes and hospitals. Next, the survey results thus obtained were discussed to improve understanding in a focus group composed of the above coordinators, and which was analysed on the basis of content analysis.

RESULTS

In both forms of cooperation, the 'formalisation' and 'governance' were the aspects that yielded the lowest mean scores. The coordinators in the focus group expressed a need for more formalised interaction among organisations with regard to palliative care, the establishment of formal channels of communication and the exchange of information, as well as the development of shared leadership.

CONCLUSIONS

The perspectives of the coordinators on inter-organisational collaboration are a valuable starting point for interventions directed at the stronger integration of palliative care for residents of long term-care facilities.

Anticipatory prescribing of injectable medications for adults at the end of life in the community: A systematic literature review and narrative synthesis

BACKGROUND:

The anticipatory prescribing of injectable medications to provide end-of-life symptom relief is an established community practice in a number of countries. The evidence base to support this practice is unclear.

AIM:

To review the published evidence concerning anticipatory prescribing of injectable medications for adults at the end of life in the community.

DESIGN:

Systematic review and narrative synthesis. Registered in PROSPERO: CRD42016052108, on 15 December 2016 (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=52108).

DATA SOURCES:

Medline, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, King’s Fund, Social Care Online, and Health Management Information Consortium databases were searched up to May 2017, alongside reference, citation, and journal hand searches. Included papers presented empirical research on the anticipatory prescribing of injectable medications for symptom control in adults at the end of life. Research quality was appraised using Gough’s ‘Weight of Evidence’ framework.

RESULTS:

The search yielded 5099 papers, of which 34 were included in the synthesis. Healthcare professionals believe anticipatory prescribing provides reassurance, effective symptom control, and helps to prevent crisis hospital admissions. The attitudes of patients towards anticipatory prescribing remain unknown. It is a low-cost intervention, but there is inadequate evidence to draw conclusions about its impact on symptom control and comfort or crisis hospital admissions.

CONCLUSION:

Current anticipatory prescribing practice and policy is based on an inadequate evidence base. The views and experiences of patients and their family carers towards anticipatory prescribing need urgent investigation. Further research is needed to investigate the impact of anticipatory prescribing on patients’ symptoms and comfort, patient safety, and hospital admissions.

Enabling At-Homeness for Older People With Life-Limiting Conditions: A Participant Observation Study From Nursing Homes

At-homeness, as an aspect of well-being, can be experienced despite living with life-limiting conditions and needs for a palliative approach to care. In nursing homes, older residents with life-limiting conditions face losses and changes which could influence their experience of at-homeness. The aim of this study was to explore how nursing staff enable at-homeness for residents with life-limiting conditions. Interpretive description was employed as the design using data from participant observations and formal and informal interviews related to nursing care situations. The strategies found to be used to enable at-homeness comprising nursing staff presenting themselves as reliable, respecting the resident's integrity, being responsive to the resident's needs, collaborating with the resident in decision-making, and through nurturing comforting relationships. The result on how to enable at-homeness could be used as strategies for a person-centered palliative approach in the care for residents in nursing homes.

Bereaved Family Members' Satisfaction with Care during the Last Three Months of Life for People with Advanced Illness

BACKGROUND

Studies evaluating the end-of-life care for longer periods of illness trajectories and in several care places are currently lacking. This study explored bereaved family members' satisfaction with care during the last three months of life for people with advanced illness, and associations between satisfaction with care and characteristics of the deceased individuals and their family members.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey design was used. The sample was 485 family members of individuals who died at four different hospitals in Sweden.

RESULTS

Of the participants, 78.7% rated the overall care as high. For hospice care, 87.1% reported being satisfied, 87% with the hospital care, 72.3% with district/county nurses, 65.4% with nursing homes, 62.1% with specialized home care, and 59.6% with general practitioners (GPs). Family members of deceased persons with cancer were more likely to have a higher satisfaction with the care. A lower satisfaction was more likely if the deceased person had a higher educational attainment and a length of illness before death of one year or longer.

CONCLUSION

The type of care, diagnoses, length of illness, educational attainment, and the relationship between the deceased person and the family member influences the satisfaction with care.

Palliative Sedation for the Terminally Ill Patient

Palliative sedation (PS) is performed in the terminally ill patient to manage one or more refractory symptoms. Proportional PS, which means that drugs can be titrated to the minimum effective dose, is the form most widely used. From a quarter to a third of all terminally ill patients undergo PS, with a quarter of these requiring continuous deep sedation. The prevalence of PS varies according to the care setting and case mix. The most frequent refractory physical symptoms are delirium and dyspnea, but PS is also considered for existential suffering or psychological distress, which is an extremely difficult and delicate issue to deal with. Active consensus from the patient and advanced care planning is recommended for PS. The decision-making process concerning the continuation or withdrawal of other treatments is not the same as that used for PS. The practice differs totally from euthanasia in its intentions, procedures, and results. The most widely used drugs are midazolam and haloperidol for refractory delirium, but chlorpromazine and other neuroleptics are also effective. In conclusion, some patients experience refractory symptoms during the last hours or days of life and PS is a medical intervention aimed at managing this unbearable suffering. It does not have a detrimental effect on survival.

How We Should Assess the Delivery of End-Of-Life Care in General Practice? A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

The majority of end-of-life (EOL) care occurs in general practice. However, we still have little knowledge about how this care is delivered or how it can be assessed and supported.

AIM

(i) To review the existing evaluation tools used for assessment of the delivery of EOL care from the perspective of general practice; (ii) To describe how EOL care is provided in general practice; (iii) To identify major areas of concern in providing EOL care in this context.

DESIGN

A systematic review.

DATA SOURCES

Systematic searches of major electronic databases (Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL) from inception to 2017 were used to identify evaluation tools focusing on organizational structures/systems and process of end-of-life care from a general practice perspective.

RESULTS

A total of 43 studies representing nine evaluation tools were included. A relatively restricted focus and lack of validation were common limitations. Key general practitioner (GP) activities assessed by the evaluation tools were summarized and the main issues in current GP EOL care practice were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

The review of evaluation tools revealed that GPs are highly involved in management of patients at the EOL, but there are a range of issues relating to the delivery of care. An EOL care registration system integrated with electronic health records could provide an optimal approach to address the concerns about recall bias and time demands in retrospective analyses. Such a system should ideally capture the core GP activities and any major issues in care provision on a case-by-case basis.

End-of-life care in a nursing home: Assistant nurses’ perspectives

Background:

Worldwide, older persons lack access to palliative care. In Sweden, many older persons die in nursing homes where care is provided foremost by assistant nurses. Due to a lack of beds, admission is seldom granted until the older persons have complex care needs and are already in a palliative phase when they move in.

Objective:

To describe assistant nurses’ perspectives of providing care to older persons at the end of life in a nursing home.

Research design:

Data were collected in semi-structured individual interviews and analyzed with inductive qualitative content analysis.

Participants and research context:

Seven assistant nurses from a nursing home in Sweden were randomly selected.

Ethical consideration:

The research was approved by the local ethics committee.

Results:

Three main categories emerged; “Death a natural part of life”; “The older person’s well-being”; and “Care in the moment of death”; and seven sub-categories. The assistant nurses described themselves as knowing the older persons well enough to provide good end-of-life care. This was achieved by making small-talk while providing daily care. Relying on experience-based knowledge, they strove to provide end-of-life care built upon respect and engagement with the ambition to strengthen older persons’ dignity, for example, by lowering the tempo of care at the end of life, in spite of organizational restrictions.

Discussion:

The assistant nurses offered attentive end-of-life care, focusing upon bodily care. The existential needs of the older persons were not foregrounded.

Conclusion:

To develop their work, and to promote an ethical foundation for such care, assistant nurses might need support and education to be able to offer a care more in line with the aims of palliative care. Furthermore, the organization of care needs to promote, not impede, the realization of this development.

Conversations about Death and Dying with Older People: An Ethnographic Study in Nursing Homes

Nursing homes are often places where older persons “come to die.” Despite this, death and dying are seldom articulated or talked about. The aim of this study was to explore assistant nurses’ experiences of conversations about death and dying with nursing home residents. This study is part of an implementation project through a knowledge-based educational intervention based on palliative care principles. An ethnographic study design was applied in seven nursing homes, where eight assistant nurses were interviewed and followed in their daily assignments through participant observations. The assistant nurses stated that they had the knowledge and tools to conduct such conversations, even though they lacked the time and felt that emotional strain could be a hinder for conversations about death and dying. The assistant nurses used the strategies of distracting, comforting, and disregarding either when they perceived that residents’ reflections on death and dying were part of their illness and disease or when there was a lack of alignment between the residents’ contemplations and the concept of dying well. They indicated that ambivalence and ambiguity toward conversations about death and dying should be taken into consideration in future implementations of knowledge-based palliative care that take place in nursing homes after this project is finalized.

Factors Associated With Symptom Relief in End-of-Life Care in Residential Care Homes: A National Register-Based Study

CONTEXT

Residential care homes (RCHs) are a common place of death. Previous studies have reported a high prevalence of symptoms such as pain and shortness of breath among residents in the last week of life.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to explore the presence of symptoms and symptom relief and identify factors associated with symptom relief of pain, nausea, anxiety, and shortness of breath among RCH residents in end-of-life care.

METHODS

The data consisted of all expected deaths at RCHs registered in the Swedish Register of Palliative Care (N = 22,855). Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

Pain was reported as the most frequent symptom of the four symptoms (68.8%) and the one that most often had been totally relieved (84.7%) by care professionals. Factors associated with relief from at least one symptom were gender; age; time in the RCH; use of a validated pain or symptom assessment scale; documented end-of-life discussions with physicians for both the residents and family members; consultations with other units; diseases other than cancer as cause of death; presence of ulcers; assessment of oral health; and prescribed pro re nata injections for pain, nausea, and anxiety.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that use of a validated pain assessment scale, assessment of oral health, and prescribed pro re nata injections for pain, nausea, and anxiety might offer a way to improve symptom relief. These clinical tools and medications should be implemented in the care of the dying in RCHs, and controlled trials should be undertaken to prove the effect.

Adaptation and validation of the VOICES (SF) questionnaire - for evaluation of end-of-life care in Sweden

OBJECTIVES

Instruments for evaluating end-of-life care by voicing experiences of family members have previously been lacking in Sweden. The objective of this study was therefore to adapt and validate the VOICES (SF) questionnaire to evaluate quality of end-of-life care in Sweden. The VOICES (SF) [Views of Informal Carers - Evaluation of Services (Short form)] is a questionnaire about bereaved relatives' experiences of care in the last three months of life of a deceased family member.

METHODS

This study was performed based on translation and back translation, cross-cultural adaptation and content validation through cognitive interviewing and feedback from professional experts. For the cognitive interviews, a purposeful sample of 35 bereaved family members was recruited from home care, hospital wards and nursing homes. The participants were 13 men and 22 women (age ranged between 20 and 90+, mean age 66), who were relatives of persons who died from life-limiting conditions. The bereaved family members' and the professional experts' concerns were summarised and analysed based on clarity, understanding, relevance, sensitivity and alternative response/wording.

RESULTS

The main concerns emerging from the content validation related to the understanding and clarity of some of the questionnaire items', and a few concerns regarding the relevance of different response alternatives or items. Only two of the family members found it emotional to complete the questionnaire, and they still deemed completing it to be important and manageable.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

The VOICES (SF) can be considered as feasible in the Swedish context, provided that cultural adaptation has been achieved, that is translation alone is not enough. The Swedish version will be available for healthcare professionals to use for quality monitoring of the care provided over the last three months in life, and for research, it enables national and cross-national comparisons between different healthcare places and organisations.

Research roundup

Synopses of a selection of recently published research articles of relevance to palliative care.