Modern dying from a doctor’s perspective

 

A thoughtful article regarding our modern attitudes to dying by Dr Craig Bowron, an internist (i.e. physician in internal medicine for us Down Under, or general medicine consultant)

Opting to try all forms of medical treatment and procedures to assuage this guilt is also emotional life insurance: When their loved one does die, family members can tell themselves, “We did everything we could for Mom.”

In my experience, this is a stronger inclination than the equally valid (and perhaps more honest) admission that “we sure put Dad through the wringer those last few months.”

I agree with Dr Bowron, that sometimes we may not consider the cost to the person (not the financial cost, other costs) of being able to say, “We did everything we could.”

What do you think? Does this apply where you are?

Regards, Sonia

PS Thanks to Tegan, a social worker I work with, for pointing me to this article.

#PALLANZ Tweetchat: Caring for the Carers

Join our upcoming #PallANZ Tweetchat on the 28 April 2016

Moderated by @AnnaLCollins

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‘Carers’ are those of us in our community providing informal, unpaid care to someone living with serious illness, disability, mental illness or frailty. Carers play an indispensable role in providing palliative care in our community.

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I think therefore I am? – Palliative Care for Chinese People: An insider’s look

Hiya folks,

I’m presenting at Grand Round tomorrow on the above subject.

Pasted below are the Tipsheets I prepared as a take-away for the presentation.

At the bottom is a link for printable PDF versions.

Enjoy, James.

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2Chinese Culture Tipsheet PDF Version

Bisphosphonates and denosumab good for bone pain…. right?

BCKnMetb40

 

Wrong!

The folk from Cochrane asked this question. ‘In adult patients with metastatic bone pain, what is the evidence that bisphosphonates and denosumab are effective and safe in controlling pain?’

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27006430

They found that evidence to support an analgesic role for bisphosphonates and denosumab is weak. Bisphosphonates and denosumab appear to be beneficial in preventing pain by delaying the onset of bone pain rather than by producing an analgesic effect per se.

Sonia

 

Would you like to know a secret?

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EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it!

Never published or told before, James Jap reveals the secret origin of palliative care virtual community of practice – Palliverse!

Please check out James’s guest blog post on the EAPC blog site where he tells all and also introduces our “hot off the press” European Journal of Palliative Care article.

You heard it here first – Palliverse appears in traditional media!

Please let us know what you think.

 

When it comes to death the statistics are clear: We will all die.

This reality greets readers of a recent report published by the Australian Centre for Health Research entitled: Conversations: Creating Choice in End of Life Care.

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#PallANZ tweet chat: Advance Care Planning

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Advance care planning is an important process that is increasingly being taken up by our community. When done well, it can help those with serious illnesses take control of their future health care. However, many people in our community still do not know about advance care planning, which means those who are likely to benefit from the process are missing out.

How can we do better?  Continue reading

NICE guidelines for end of life care

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides national guidance and advice to improve health and social care in the UK.

In response to the Neuberger report and the demise of the Liverpool Care Pathway, new evidence based guidelines have been developed.

This guideline includes recommendations on:

In my state, Victoria Australia, the VEC (Victorian End of life Coordinating Program) is undertaking similar work, and plans to release a Victorian end of life care plan soon.

In Australia, we have not had the negative stories and experiences seen in the UK; because the LCP was implemented in a better way? The stories coming out of the Neuberger report were shocking: I cannot imagine any patient being denied a drink when requested “because she is on the LCP”. However the LCP has also been withdrawn locally in response to the negative findings delivered in the UK.

I will be participating in a pilot of the new end of life care plans which will replace the LCP locally. I am looking forward to seeing the final version.

Thoughts, dear reader, about the terminal care of the LCP?

 

#PallANZ tweet chat

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Grief and loss is something we will all face at different times throughout our lives. Whether it is the death of our pets, our friends, our children, siblings or parents; the experience and expression of grief in response to these losses can be a very personal and individual thing. Grief can also arise in anticipation of loss. For those living with life-limiting illness, living with the loss of social role and professional identity can be especially challenging.

Thoughts about old, new and future losses can be particularly common during the festive season. For some of us, it may represent an anniversary of the death of a loved one, and bring with it painful memories of loss. Some might be facing their first Christmas ‘alone’, while others may be grappling with the possibility of celebrating their ‘last Christmas’.

While living with grief and loss is a personal experience, we don’t have to endure it on our own. As a community, there are many ways that we can support each other. Join us to talk openly about living with grief and loss.

TOPIC                    Living with grief and loss

DATE / TIME       10th December, 2015 @ 1900 AEDT

MODERATOR     @Elissa_Campbell

T1 Have you experienced grief and loss? How would you describe it? And what did you need from those around you?

T2 How do children live with grief and loss? How are they different from adults?

T3 What kinds of support are there for people living with grief and loss in your community?

T4 As a community and as individuals, how can we better support those living with grief and loss during the festive season?

Death and dying in the media

coming up

Q&A. Love it or loath it, or maybe a bit of both. But there is no denying that it strikes a chord with a sizable portion of the Australian population who would perhaps rather not be watching A Current AffairToday Tonight or their new lovechild: The Verdict. Continue reading