Understanding palliative care in residential and nursing homes

Abstract

This article presents the research findings from the qualitative stages of a study which investigated the care of dying residents in residential, nursing and dual-registered homes for older people in England. The study explored the degree to which the principles and practices of palliative care have permeated the care ethos of these settings in order to assess the feasibility of applying appropriate aspects of palliative care. The degree of understanding regarding palliative care varied between the different types of homes and among different categories of staff. The term ‘palliative’ was not familiar to most of the home staff. However, findings from interviews with home managers and observations in case study homes revealed that most homes aspired to provide residents with many aspects of the palliative care approach. The homes were constrained by many factors including the nature of support and the perspectives of attached GPs, specialist palliative care and community nurses. Staffing levels and access to training also determined the quality of care provided.