Dying Matters Awareness Week 2015: Plus Related Information and Developments (Dying Matters Coalition / BBC News / PHSO / Nursing Times)

Summary

The “Dying Matters Awareness Week”, this year having the theme “Talk, Plan, Live”, occurs between May 18^th – 24^th 2015. The aim is to support more open discussion about dying, death and bereavement. Making end of life wishes known, early on, can be beneficial.

Read more: Dying Matters.

Dying Without Dignity (PHSO)

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s “Dying Without Dignity” report into inadequacies in end-of-life care during the last four years has identified the persistence of poor communication, poor pain management and inadequate out-of-hours services. Too many people still die in hospital (against their wishes), rather than their preferred place of death.

Full Text Link

Reference

End-of-life care letting people down – health ombudsman. London: BBC Health News, May 20^th 2015.

End-of-Life Care in Acute Hospitals (RCN)

Some nursing guidelines on improving end-of-life care in acute hospitals:

Full Text Link (Note: This article is available free currently, but may soon require a suitable Athens password, a journal subscription or payment for access).

Reference

Oliver, T. [and] O’Connor, SJ. (2015). Perceptions of a “good death” in acute hospitals. Nursing Times. May 20^th 2015. Vol.111(21), pp.24-27.