Comment: EAPC task force on volunteering: what progress has been made?
Ros Scott and Leena Pelttari
pp 265-265
In many European countries, volunteering is an integral part of hospice and palliative care. However, volunteers are not always recognised for the role they play in the multidisciplinary team, and there is still much to learn about the nature, range and level of their involvement.
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Draining malignant ascites at home with tunnelled catheters: complications and costs
Damian Mullan, Nabil Kibriya, Hadeel Hassan, Arun Jacob and Hans-Ulrich Laasch
pp 266-273
Recurrent malignant ascites can be managed at home using tunnelled intraperitoneal catheters. Damian Mullan, Nabil Kibriya, Hadeel Hassan, Arun Jacob and Hans-Ulrich Laasch have conducted a study to determine the safety, efficacy and complications of tunnelled paracentesis performed at home, as well as the potential cost savings compared with conventional drainage in hospital.
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Bereavement support in intensive care: practical considerations
Michael Berry and Elmien Brink
pp 275-277
In the UK, bereavement follow-up for families or friends after the death of a loved one in intensive care is considered best practice. But there are several uncertainties as to how to provide this in practice, and guidance is lacking. Michael Berry and Elmien Brink highlight some crucial considerations.
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Case study masterclass 83: A 70-year-old man with bladder cancer wishing to die at home
Lucy Smith and Claire Hoyal
pp 278-279
Frank is a 70-year-old retired construction worker. He lives in a detached three-bedroom house with his wife Freda, who is 68. They have two adult sons, Tim and Matthew, who are both married and live nearby; Tim has two children. As a family, Frank, Freda, Tim and Matthew are close and supportive of each other …
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Case study masterclass 82 answers: Issues around communicating the end-of-life preferences of a patient with brain involvement of cancer
Mark Banting
pp 280-280
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Integrating hospice and palliative care in Austrian nursing homes
Sigrid Beyer and Anna H Pissarek
pp 282-284
In 2006, Hospice Austria launched an ambitious project aimed at integrating hospice and palliative care in nursing homes across the country. Sigrid Beyer and Anna H Pissarek describe how the project was set up, what has been achieved so far and what will happen next.
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Reaffirming the benefits of morphine to beat opiophobia
Mario López Saca and Carlos Centeno
pp 288-291
In many parts of the world, there still is a lack of knowledge about, and a fear of using, opioids. Mario López Saca and Carlos Centeno remind us that, when used at the correct dose, morphine alleviates pain and dyspnoea, thus providing much needed symptom relief to terminal patients.
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What you need to know about alcohol in palliative care: a brief review of the literature
Jacqueline Lee-Alker
pp 292-295
Alcohol intake is rarely documented in palliative care patients. Alcohol dependence can cause various problems, but small amounts of alcohol can be beneficial. Jacqueline Lee-Alker usefully explores this seldom researched topic in a literature review.
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Book review: Palliative Care, 2nd edn
Lucy Walker
pp 295-295
The problem with a number of medical textbooks is that they are so substantial that you can never face starting to read them. Thankfully, this is not the case with this volume, now in its second edition.
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Providing palliative care education to staff in elderly care settings in New Zealand
Anne Morgan, Rod MacLeod and Mary Schumacher
pp 296-298
Recently developed in New Zealand, ‘Fundamentals of Palliative Care’ is an innovative approach to palliative care education for those working in residential care settings for the elderly. Anne Morgan, Rod MacLeod and Mary Schumacher tell us more.
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EAPC Early Researcher Award 2012 – looking back
Lucy Selman, Matthew Maddocks and Stephanie Stiel
pp 299-301
Since 2009, through its Early Researcher Award, the European Association for Palliative Care has recognised and supported the work of scientists and clinicians who make an outstanding contribution to palliative care research. Here, Lucy Selman, Matthew Maddocks and Stephanie Stiel reflect on the path their careers have taken since they won the award in 2012.
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The 11th Palliative Care Congress in Glasgow – why ‘rediscovering holism’?
Derek Willis
pp 302-303
The 11th edition of the biennial Palliative Care Congress will take place in Glasgow on 9–11 March 2016. Derek Willis, who chairs the congress, explains its overarching theme.
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Paediatric palliative care in India: the views of two residents in a tertiary teaching centre
Arunangshu Ghoshal and Anuja Damani
pp 304-306
In India, paediatric palliative care is progressively gaining wider recognition. Arunangshu Ghoshal and Anuja Damani, the first two medical graduates to join a residency programme aimed at providing palliative care training to physicians, share their thoughts on this emerging domain.
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Case study masterclass 83 answers: A 70-year-old man with bladder cancer wishing to die at home
Lucy Smith and Claire Hoyal
pp 308-308
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European insight: Agora: building bridges in palliative care in the Netherlands
Clémence Ross
pp 309-311
Founded in 2002, Agora is a Dutch organisation that serves as a platform for the exchange of information on end-of-life issues. It has been given a central role in collecting and disseminating data about the national programme for palliative care 2014–2020 put in place by the Dutch government.
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