End-of-life care in a psychiatric hospital

Abstract

Since the Liverpool Care Pathway has been withdrawn in the UK, clinicians supporting the palliative needs of patients have faced further challenges, particularly for patients with dementia who are unable to go to a hospice owing to challenging behaviours. It is becoming more important for different services to provide long-term palliative care for patients with dementia. Mental health trusts should construct end-of-life care policies and train staff members accordingly. Through collaborative working, dying patients may be kept where they are best suited. We present the case study of a patient who received end-of-life care at a psychiatric hospital in the UK. We aim to demonstrate how effective end-of-life care might be provided in a psychiatric hospital, in accordance with recent new palliative care guidelines, and highlight potential barriers.

Professional caregivers' experiences with the Liverpool Care Pathway in dementia: An ethnographic study in a Dutch nursing home

“…People with dementia in the last phase of life often suffer from such burdensome symptoms as pain and shortness of breath (van der Steen, 2010; Hendriks et al, 2015). They may not verbalize complaints or express them differently, and recognizing such symptoms may be even more difficult in acute illness or during the dying phase (Robinson et al, 2014; Davies et al, 2015; Waterman et al, 2016). Anticipating and identifying symptoms are important for timely symptom management.…”

Designing Dementia Care Pathways to Transform Non Dementia-Friendly Hospitals: Scoping Review

“…This stage of care may increase stress in healthcare staff. Debriefing sessions may help them confront and discuss the lived situation to perform new strategies as a process of continuous improvement [37][38][39][40]. As it has been mentioned before, it is necessary to evaluate PwD from a multidisciplinary perspective and take decisions based on PwD wishes and last evidence.…”

The Challenges of Palliative and End-of-Life Care in Tertiary Care State Psychiatric Hospitals

“…There is a dearth of literature on the practice of palliative and end-of-life care in tertiary care psychiatric hospitals, where patients can stay for extended lengths of time, even decades. Patients who stay for long periods in psychiatric hospitals, particularly geriatric patients, may find themselves in need of palliative and end-of-life care (1). This includes patients with illnesses such as cancer, organ failure, and neurodegenerative diseases as well as patients with dementia, a terminal condition frequently encountered in psychiatric hospitals.…”