Short Videos: Hoping for the best - planning for the worst....

While we should always hope for the best, it is wise to prepare for the worst.   In these 6 short videos, Dr Justin Amery, a specialist in palliative care talks honestly, reassuringly and practically about this, to give people the best chance of getting the care they wish for at the place they wish for at end life.  The talks include What symptoms will I get; Some facts and figures; Talking about death and dying; Planning ahead to get the care you want; and Having conversations with others.

View videos here

Information for families: when death is near

This article from the Canadian web site Virtual Hospice is a well written piece about the last few days/hours when someone is dying.  It describes what will happen, and common concerns from families.  It covers decreasing energy, decreasing food and fluids, confusion, agitation, "visions", and the final physical changes in the body, including skin changes, breathing changes and when death has happened.
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Article: Communication between healthcare professionals and relatives of patients approaching the end-of-life

Effective communication between healthcare professionals and relatives is vital to ensure patients have a "good death". This study sought to establish what the current practice is.  31 papers were included in the review. 7 themes were identified from them with varied levels of family involvement in the decision making process. Doctors were regarded as responsible for discussing prognosis and decision making and nurses for providing individualised care.  Findings suggest training could provide healthcare professionals with strategies to improve communication such as question prompt lists could help relatives overcome barriers to involvement in decision-making.

Anderson, R. J. et al. 2019. Communication between healthcare professionals and relatives of patients approaching the end-of-life: A systematic review of qualitative evidence.  Palliative Medicine 33 (8) p 926-941.

Article: "I want to die in my sleep" - how people think about death, choice and control

This Australian study sought to explore societal and personal wishes and beliefs around death and dying.  Participants posted comments in a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on death and dying, entitled Dying2Learn.  For one activity in the MOOC, participants responded to a question asking them about "the best way to go".  The analysis showed that although death was considered a natural and normal process it was accompanied by deep reluctance to address the physical process of dying. Their findings highlighted a desire for choice and control in relation to dying, a common element in discussions of both advance care planning and palliative care.  The paper discusses the paradox of individuals wanting to have control whilst preferring not to know they are dying.

Sanderson, C. 2019. "I want to die in my sleep" - how people think about death, choice and control: findings from a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).  Annals of Palliative Medicine, 8 (4) p 411-419.

Contact the library for a copy.

Report: Talking about death can be life changing

Research by Macmillan Cancer Support and YouGov show 3 in 5 people (62%) in the UK haven't spoken with the family or friends about their wishes in relation to their death.  Almost 1 in 4 (23%) did not know all of their family or friends' wishes. 

Macmillan has information and resources for people to help them plan for death, including a questionnaire to find out how ready they are to talk about it, a guide for starting the conversation and a planning checklist.