Palliative and end-of-life care for people living with dementia in care homes: part 2.

This article, the second of two, provides healthcare practitioners with an overview of best practice in palliative and end-of-life care, including nutrition, hydration, oral hygiene and pain management. Communication and spiritual care are discussed, as well as care after death. Providing support and education for families is an important aspect of palliative and end-of-life care.

Palliative and end of life care for people living with dementia in care homes: part 1.

The terms palliative and end of life care are often used interchangeably and healthcare practitioners may perceive that palliative care is only appropriate during the terminal stages of an illness. This article, the first of two parts, provides healthcare practitioners with an overview of the concept of palliative care. It explains how this can be differentiated from end of life care and how it should be commenced in a timely manner, so that people who are living with dementia can contribute to the planning of their future care and death.

Care home managers' knowledge of palliative care: a Northern Irish study.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine care home managers' knowledge of palliative care using the palliative care quiz for nursing (PCQN).

Background: Palliative care is strongly advocated for all people living with advancing incurable illness. Within a care home setting there should be a particular emphasis on the importance of palliative care, particularly for those residents who, because of their advancing age, are likely to live with non-malignant diseases such as dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or heart failure to name a few.

Evaluation of 'Dementia Friends' programme for undergraduate nursing students: Innovative practice.

The 'dementia friends' programme was launched by the Alzheimer's Society in the UK two years ago with the purpose of educating members of the public about the things they can do which can enhance the lives of people living with dementia. The aim of this project was to deliver a two-hour 'Dementia Friendly Community Workshop' written by the Alzheimer's Society, to an entire cohort of first-year undergraduate nursing students in one Higher Education Institutions in Northern Ireland. Following delivery of the programme, students were asked to complete a short questionnaire on their knowledge and confidence in relation to dementia care before and after the Dementia Friendly Community programme.