Palliative Care- Hospital/ Community

End of Life care InitiativesRight Care

Dr R Gaekwad

End of life care initiatives-overview

July 2008, the Department of Health published “The End of Life Care Strategy”, the first such strategy in the UK.

The aim of the strategy is to improve the provision of care for all adults approaching the end of their life, including support for their families and carers.

the implementation of this strategy would reduce inappropriate admissions to hospital, and enable more people approaching the end of their life to have access to high quality specialist palliative care, be able to live, be cared for and die in the place of their choice.

Gold Standards Framework,Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying, andPreferred Place of Care tools. commitment to raising the standards of care for this

special group of patients. It recognises that many patients wish to be cared for in their preferred place of choice, which may be their own home. It also pays particular attention to the support for informal carers, and to the provision of education and support for professionals to deliver a consistent and high standard of care.

Preferred Priorities for Care

Preferred Priorities for Care (PPC; formerly known as Preferred Place of Care) is an Advance Care Plan (ACP), in which individuals can write down their preferences and priorities for care at the end of life in order to help prepare for the future.

  It is never too early to start a PPC plan particularly for

residents in care homes, which for many is their permanent and final place of residence. The PPC provides an opportunity for care home residents and staff to work together to develop Advance Care Plans in accordance with the new Mental Capacity Act.

Residents can initiate the PPC at any time and this will help staff follow their wishes and act as an advocate if the resident loses capacity towards the end of their life.

Principles of GSF- 3 steps

1.Identify

Patients who may be in the last year of life & identify their stage

Use of the ‘surprise’ question, use of Prognostic Indicator Guidance,

Needs Based Coding

2.Assess

Current & future clinical needs & personal needs

Use of assessment tools, Advance Care Planning etc

3.Plan

Develop an action plan of care

Use 7 Cs key tasks, Needs Support Matrix, passport information etc

End of Life Care in Numbers

1% of the population dies each year 17% increase in deaths from 2012 40% of deaths in hospital could have occurred elsewhere 60% people do not die where they choose 75% deaths are from non-cancer conditions 85% of deaths occur in people over 65 £19,000 non cancer, £14,000 cancer average

cost/patient in final year of life 2.5 million generalist workforce 5,500 palliative care

specialists

GSF works- improving end of life care

Attitude, Approach and Awareness Increasing confidence of staff about discussing end of

life care Increasing openness and confidence of staff Patterns and Processes Improved coordination and team working Improving practical systems of care Outcomes for Patients and Carers Fewer hospital admissions and deaths, more dying

where theychoose with considerable cost savings to NHS

More advance care planning discussions

Liverpool Care Pathway

The Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) was developed between the Royal Liverpool hospital and the city's Marie Curie hospice in the late 1990s. The pathway was developed to try to provide the same level of nursing expertise at the end of life as during other treatments, regardless of the patients' chosen environment.

  The pathway aims to guide members of the

multidisciplinary team in matters relating to continuing medical treatment, discontinuation of treatment and comfort measures during the last days.

LCP

RECOGNISE THAT DEATH IS APPROACHING Studies have found that dying patients will

manifest some or all of the following: • Profound weakness - usually bedbound • Drowsy or reduced cognition - semi-comatose • Diminished intake of food and fluids - only able

to take sips of fluid • Difficulty in swallowing medication - no longer

able to take tablets

LCP-Treatment of symptoms

. Discontinue any medication which is not essential Prescribe medication necessary to control current

distressing symptoms All patients who are dying would benefit from

having subcutaneous medication prescribed in case distressing symptoms develop

All medication needs should be reviewed every 24hrs

If two or more doses of prn medication have been required, then consider the use of a syringe driver for continuous subcutaneous infusion (CSI)

LCP

The most frequently reported symptoms are:- • Pain (Morphine, Diamorphine, MST, Fentanyl) • Nausea / Vomiting (cyclizine, haloperidol,

metoclopramide, levomepromazine) • Agitation / Restlessness(Midazolam) • Excessive secretions / Noisy breathing

(Hyoscine butylbromide)

RightCare

RightCare is a scheme which was designed by Derbyshire Health United (DHU) clinicians to ensure that seamless patient care takes place out of hours, when General Practitioner (GP) practices are closed.

RightCare is designed for patients with long term conditions and complex healthcare needs, including end of life patients.

The scheme helps to prevent unnecessary admissions to hospital and attendance at Accident and Emergency (A&E), lower patient anxiety, provides reassurance and allows patients to access the most appropriate heal

RightCare-suitability

The service is suitable for people with complex health problems and long term conditions-

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD),

those requiring palliative care, frequent users of Accident and Emergency

(A&E) and 999, some people with Mental Health Conditions and

Learning Difficulties

Right Care

devised with the patient by their own GP or other health care professional e.g. District Nurse, Community Matron, etc. and then shared with DHU, by secure e-mail

valid for up to 6 months DHU currently share the information with NHS

Direct, East Midlands Ambulance Service, Royal Derby Hospitals and Chesterfield Royal Hospital

Patients will have the dedicated RightCare Number which is shown on the RightCare Plan which will put them in contact with DHU directly.