Documenting end of life decisions in residential aged care facilities in South Australia

Brown, Margaret, Grbich, Carol, Maddocks, Ian, Parker, Deborah, Roe, Penny and Willis, Eileen (2005) Documenting end of life decisions in residential aged care facilities in South Australia. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 29 1: 85-90.


Author Brown, Margaret
Grbich, Carol
Maddocks, Ian
Parker, Deborah
Roe, Penny
Willis, Eileen
Title Documenting end of life decisions in residential aged care facilities in South Australia
Journal name Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health  (ERA 2012 Listed)    (ERA 2010 Rank B)   Check publisher's open access policy
Publication date 2005-02
Sub-type Article
DOI 10.1111/j.1467-842X.2005.tb00754.x
Volume number 29
Issue number 1
ISSN 1326-0200 (print); 1753-6405 (electronic)
Start page 85
End page 90
Total pages 6
Place of publication Carlton, Vic., Australia
Publisher Blackwell Publishing
Language eng
Subject 1117 Public Health and Health Services
Formatted abstract Objective: This research examined the provision of palliative care for residents with a non-cancerdiagnosis including the use of advance directives and advance care planning as part of palliative care policies in residential aged care facilities in South Australia. There are no guidelines for recording residents' wishes if they are no longer competent.

Methods: Stage 1 involved a survey of 90 randomly selected aged care facilities. Stage 2 involved case studies of 69 residents, appropriate for palliative care,from 17 facilities and interviews with 15 directors of care.

Results: Most residential aged care facilities used forms to record residents' wishes about end of life care, but there was little consistency, Some had no palliative care policy and few facilities required a formal advance directive. Not all residents had formally appointed a proxy.

Conclusions: Residential aged care facilities should be required to develop and implement a palliative care policy acknowledging the Accreditation Standards and State legislation and including a simple tool for advanced care planning. Case conferencing could assist in discussing and documenting the resident's wishes. Public education is essential to increase community and professional awareness in order to promote empowerment for the increasing number of older people who will die in residential aged care facilities.
Keyword Residential aged care
End of life decisions
Q-Index Code C1

Document type: Journal Article
Sub-type: Article
Collections: Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) - Collection
School of Nursing and Midwifery Publications
 
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Created: Thu, 07 Jan 2010, 17:17:30 EST by Natalie Holt on behalf of Faculty Of Health Sciences