Comment: EAPC Research Congress in Dublin: a real sense of enthusiasm
Julie Ling
pp 161-161
The two weeks leading up to the 9th World Research Congress of the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC), which took place on the campus of University College Dublin in Ireland from 9th to 11th June 2016, had been particularly sunny and warm. Alas, the good weather did not last for the whole of the congress … but the occasional rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of the 1,200 or so delegates …
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An unusual presentation of acute lithium toxicity in a hospice
Jennifer Hayes, Fay Murray-Brown, Alison Stewart and Rebecca Baines
pp 162-164
Lithium is a widely used treatment for mood disorders but, although effective, it has a narrow therapeutic window. Furthermore, palliative care patients taking lithium are at increased risk of toxicity. Jennifer Hayes, Fay Murray-Brown, Alison Stewart and Rebecca Baines describe an atypical case of acute lithium toxicity in a woman with symptoms resembling those of panic episodes.
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Managing fatigue: a trial of group and individual educational support for hospice outpatients
Barbara Littlechild
pp 166-168
Fatigue is common in patients receiving palliative care, and adequate management can improve function and quality of life. Barbara Littlechild compares the effect of group and individual occupational therapy programmes implemented at a London hospice on fatigue and describes patient satisfaction.
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Case study masterclass 87: Managing total pain in an elderly man with mesothelioma
Andrew Tan and Bernadette Lee
pp 170-171
Antonio is a friendly and, on first impression, optimistic 78-year-old man. As a teenager, he came from Italy to the UK, where he met his future wife Katie, who is 75 years old. A retired decorator, Antonio has a history of occupational exposure to asbestos. He is devoted to his wife and to their adult son Chris, who has learning difficulties and lives with his parents in their modest house with garden on the outskirts of a small town in the Greater London area.
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EJPC Palliative Care Policy Development Award: an interview with the 2016 winner, Nathan Cherny
Nathan Cherny
pp 172-174
Born and educated in Australia, Professor Nathan Cherny settled in Israel, where he works as an oncologist and palliative care physician. A pioneer of the integration of the two specialties, he has spearheaded many international projects aimed at improving patient care and access to treatment. Last year he received the much coveted European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Award. Through the EJPC Palliative Care Policy Development Award, he now receives well-deserved recognition from the palliative care community.
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Respite for patients and carers in neurodegenerative disease: a grounded theory study
Diane Laverty, Anne Arber and Sara Faithfull
pp 175-179
Diane Laverty, Anne Arber and Sara Faithfull present the results of a grounded theory study that aimed to determine what residential respite care can offer to patients with neurodegenerative diseases and their carers, focusing on the procurement of respite, restoration and biographical reconstruction.
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Resources: e-ELCA: e-learning for practitioners in end-of-life care
Christina Faull and Victoria Winlow
pp 180-183
Christina Faull and Victoria Winlow describe the End of Life Care for All e-learning (e-ELCA) resource and how it can be used to support the development of end-of-life care skills in the health- and social care workforce.
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Book review: Compassionate Person-Centered Care for the Dying – An Evidence-Based Palliative Care Guide for Nurses
Judith Holden
pp 183-183
This is a wide-ranging reference work based on both the author’s experience and an examination of programmes and studies done mainly in North America. Much of the book is designed to appeal to a North-American readership, so its applicability elsewhere is not evident. That said, the book is, overall, clearly written and informative. The evidence is illustrated by an abundance of case studies.
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Defining volunteering in hospice and palliative care in Europe: an EAPC White Paper
Anne Goossensen, Jos Somsen, Ros Scott and Leena Pelttari
pp 184-191
In 2013, a Taskforce on Volunteering in Hospice and Palliative Care was created within the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC). Among other endeavours, it has worked on a White Paper containing a shared definition and typology of hospice and palliative care volunteering, and exploring its role, position, identity and value. This White Paper is presented here by Anne Goossensen, Jos Somsen, Ros Scott and Leena Pelttari.
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Cure or care – diagnosing death in the modern era
Joseph M Sawyer
pp 192-194
Joseph M Sawyer is a junior doctor with a passion for integrating compassionate care into modern medical practice. Influenced by Indo-Tibetan philosophy and medicine, he shares his thoughts on how medical professionals should deal with death, using the concepts of interdependence, community and compassion.
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Establishing palliative care in Croatia: memories of a pioneer
Anica Jusic and David Oliver
pp 196-199
Croatian neurologist and palliative care pioneer Anica Jusic, now in her late 80s, has recently published her autobiography. Here she recalls the emergence and development of hospice and palliative care in Croatia from the early 1990s to the present day, with the help of her colleague and friend David Oliver.
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Experiences of bereaved carers: insights from the literature
Joyce Cavaye and Jacqueline H Watts
pp 200-203
After the death of the person they care for, unpaid carers – usually spouses or other family members – face further difficulties and challenges that are often overlooked. Joyce Cavaye and Jacqueline H Watts have looked at the literature on former carers in the palliative context and share their findings.
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Case study masterclass 87 answers: Managing total pain in an elderly man with mesothelioma
Andrew Tan and Bernadette Lee
pp 204-204
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European insight: National Association for Hospice at Home: improving home-care services across the UK
Kay Greene and Lesley Spencer
pp 205-207
The National Association for Hospice at Home (NAHH) represents the services providing care for patients at home towards the end of life in the UK. These services are going through challenging times, and the charity aims to give them adequate support and advocate on their behalf.
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