‘Nowhere else will take him’ – Palliative care and homelessness
Briony Hudson, Caroline Shulman and Paddy Stone
pp 54-54
Alarming new figures released this month report a continuing trend of increasing rough sleeping in England; 16% in the last year and a total increase of 133% since 2010. But homelessness is not limited to rough sleeping – it includes people who are vulnerably housed, including living in hostels, squatting or sofa surfing.
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Routine weighing of patients upon admission to an inpatient hospice setting: exploring the opinion of staff and patients
Niall Byrne, Samantha Kay, Alison Phippen and Jennie Pickard
pp 55-57
Niall Byrne, Samantha Kay, Alison Phippen and Jennie Pickard present the results of a study that investigated the attitudes of staff and patients in a hospice towards weighing patients.
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Testamentary capacity and palliative care: helping patients implement estate planning
Kieran M Kennedy, Julien O’Riordan, Eileen Mannion and Sharon Beatty
pp 58-63
Throughout Europe and beyond, those nearing the end of life sometimes wish to make a will or change an existing one. Kieran M Kennedy, Julien O’Riordan, Eileen Mannion and Sharon Beatty outline and discuss the appropriate ways of helping patients to implement estate planning by assessing, and maximising, their ability to make or change a valid will.
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Randomised controlled trials involving people nearing death: proposed solutions to ethical challenges
Kexin Ang and Ivan Mun Hong Woo
pp 65-67
The use of randomised controlled trials involving people near the end of life is controversial. Here, Kexin Ang and Ivan Mun Hong Woo explore approaches that can be used to address the ethical challenges associated with such trials.
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Psychological ideas in palliative care: emotional regulation
Jenny Strachan
pp 68-71
We are all born with the capacity to experience emotions. Much has been written about how and why we experience them, but there is a consensus that they help us to understand and respond to the complex situations and relationships that are part of being human.
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Intangible values of palliative care
María Arantzamendi and Carlos Centeno
pp 72-74
Palliative care is a notoriously elusive concept for many people unacquainted with it to grasp. María Arantzamendi and Carlos Centeno discuss the intangible nature of many aspects of palliative care and the challenges those who work in palliative care face in disseminating these concepts.
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Death and the Maiden: how women deal with grief
Anna J Pedrosa Carrasco and Jonathan Koffman
pp 76-81
Women are more likely to suffer the death of a partner than men, yet little research has investigated the effect of gender on responses to bereavement. Here, Anna J Pedrosa Carrasco and Jonathan Koffman clarify the current knowledge of social factors affecting the grieving process in women after partner loss.
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Case study masterclass 90: Managing symptoms of renal impairment in a 55-year-old women with ovarian cancer
Emily Adam
pp 84-85
Sarah is 56 and works as a care assistant in an elderly care home. She moved to the area ten years ago after her husband died in a car accident. She enjoys her job, but tends to keep herself to herself and has few friends in the area. Her favourite pastime is browsing the shops and picking up a bargain. She begins to experience tiredness and pain around her hips.
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Palliative surgery for advanced breast cancer
Masaki Fujioka, Kenji Hayashida, Kiyoko Fukui, Satoko Ishiyama and Hiroto Saijo
pp 86-89
Patients with metastatic breast cancer at diagnosis receive only palliative therapy, and surgery is not performed. However, these patients often have cutaneous ulcers, which lead to a markedly impaired quality of life following discharge. Masaki Fujioka, Kenji Hayashida, Kiyoko Fukui, Satoko Ishiyama and Hiroto Saijo report the results of a Japanese study investigating the benefits of palliative surgery in advanced breast cancer.
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A day in the life of … Rachel Grubb, Research Nurse and IPU Staff Nurse
Rachel Grubb
pp 90-92
Palliative care teams are made up of many people doing different jobs. In this series we invite them to describe a typical day in their work. Meet Rachel Grubb from Marie Curie Hospice, West Midlands, UK.
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Book review: Being Mortal – Illness, Medicine, and What Matters in the End
Emily Adam
pp 93-93
In this powerful and honest discussion, US surgeon and best-selling author Atul Gawande tackles the subject of mortality and his observation of how ‘scientific advances have turned the process of aging and dying into medical experiences’.
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Case study masterclass 90 answers: Managing symptoms of renal impairment in a 55-year-old women with ovarian cancer
Emily Adam
pp 94-94
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