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Identification of patients with noncancer diseases for palliative care services

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2005

CAROL GRBICH ,
IAN MADDOCKS ,
DEBORAH PARKER ,
MARGARET BROWN ,
EILEEN WILLIS ,
NEIL PILLER  and
ANNE HOFMEYER
CAROL GRBICH
Affiliation:
Department of Palliative Care, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
IAN MADDOCKS
Affiliation:
Department of Palliative Care, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
DEBORAH PARKER
Affiliation:
Department of Palliative Care, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
MARGARET BROWN
Affiliation:
Hawke Research Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
EILEEN WILLIS
Affiliation:
Department of Palliative Care, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
NEIL PILLER
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
ANNE HOFMEYER
Affiliation:
Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Abstract

Objective: To identify criteria for measuring the eligibility of patients with end-stage noncancer diseases for palliative care services in Australian residential aged care facilities.

Methods: No validated set if guidelines were available so five instruments were used: an adaptation of the American National Hospice Association Guidelines; a recent adaptation of the Karnofsky Performance Scale; the Modified Barthel Index; the Abbey Pain Score for assessment of people who are nonverbal and a Verbal Descriptor Scale, also for pain measurement. In addition, nutritional status and the presence of other problematic symptoms and their severity were also sought.

Results: The adapted American National Hospice Association Guidelines provided an initial indicative framework and the other instruments were useful in providing confirmatory data for service eligibility and delivery.

Keywords

Inclusion criteriaNoncancer diseasePalliative careResidential aged care facilitiesTerminal care
Type
Research Article
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 3 , Issue 1 , March 2005 , pp. 5 - 14
Copyright
© 2005 Cambridge University Press

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