Objectives: In Egypt, palliative care for geriatric patients is understudied, necessitating exploration for service optimization. Amidst rising chronic illnesses and aging, understanding perspectives of geriatric patients and families is crucial for targeted improvements. This study aims to explore geriatric patients' and their families' perspectives on palliative care in Egypt, seeking opportunities to optimize service delivery for the elderly.
Methods: Employing a cross-sectional design with 110 geriatric patients and an equal number of family caregivers from the Damietta Oncology Institute and the pain treatment clinics for cancer patients at Zagazig University Hospital, the study focuses on a specialized pain clinic. Validated tools (Palliative Care Outcome Scale, Family Satisfaction with End-of-Life Care [FAMCARE] Scale, Edmonton Symptom Assessment System [ESAS], Caregiver Strain Index [CSI]) assess quality of life, family satisfaction, symptom severity, and caregiver strain.
Results: Geriatric patients (mean age: 65.0 ± 8.1 years; 45.5% male, 55.5% female) have diverse diagnoses (e.g., breast cancer 22%). Palliative care outcomes reveal challenges: low emotional well-being (2.6 ± 0.0) and alarming overall quality of life (1.8 ± 0.0). Family dissatisfaction (FAMCARE) is pervasive (total mean score 2.6 ± 0.5). Symptom severity (ESAS) is high, and caregiver strain (CSI) is notable (8.5 ± 2.2).
Significance Of The Results: The findings underscore the significance of the challenges faced by geriatric patients and caregivers in palliative care. Patients confront considerable symptom burdens and emotional distress, while caregivers experience notable strain. Urgently needed are targeted interventions designed to enhance patient well-being, alleviate caregiver burden, and elevate satisfaction. The critical importance of implementing these interventions promptly is highlighted, as they are instrumental in improving the overall care experience for geriatric patients and their caregivers. Moreover, the results underscore the imperative of developing comprehensive support mechanisms to address the intricate dimensions of palliative care, ultimately contributing to a more compassionate and effective care continuum.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1478951524000221 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Optimization of a digital health intervention to enhance well-being among adolescent and young adult cancer survivors: Design and methods of the EMPOWER full factorial trial.
Contemp Clin Trials
December 2024
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Medical Social Sciences, USA.
Adolescent and young adult cancer survivors (AYAs) experience clinically significant distress and have limited access to supportive care services. Interventions to enhance psychological well-being have improved positive affect and reduced depression in clinical and healthy populations and have not been routinely tested in AYA survivors. We are optimizing a web-based positive skills intervention for AYA cancer survivors called Enhancing Management of Psychological Outcomes With Emotion Regulation (EMPOWER) by: (1) determining which intervention components have the strongest effects on well-being and (2) identifying demographic and individual difference variables that mediate and moderate EMPOWER's efficacy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParamedics providing end-of-life care: an online survey of practice and experiences.
BMC Palliat Care
December 2024
School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Background: Global demand for care during the last year of life (end-of-life) is rising and with shortfalls in community healthcare services, paramedics are increasingly called on to deliver this. Despite this growing demand on the paramedic workforce, little large-scale or detailed empirical research has evaluated current practice and paramedic experiences of attending this patient group. Therefore, as part of a wider study evaluating paramedic delivery of end-of-life care, a large-scale survey in England describing paramedics' current practice and experiences providing end-of-life care was undertaken.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOutcomes of patients receiving urgent palliative radiotherapy for advanced lung cancer: an observational study.
BMC Palliat Care
December 2024
Division of Radiation Oncology, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, 1331 29 Street NW, Calgary, T2N 4N2, Alberta, Canada.
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluates outcomes for patients with advanced lung cancer receiving palliative radiotherapy at the Fast Track Lung Clinic, focusing on treatment responses and survival factors.
- Among 558 patients, a significant 70% showed treatment response, with higher rates linked to better performance status and specific genetic mutations, while those treated for neurological symptoms had lower responses.
- Key factors affecting overall survival included age, performance status, smoking habits, and the presence of metastases, highlighting the complexity of managing advanced lung cancer.
Ambivalent and heavy burdened wanderers on a road less travelled: a meta-ethnography on end-of-life care experiences among family caregivers in rural areas.
BMC Health Serv Res
December 2024
Department of Health and Care Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
Background: As the population ages, more people will be diagnosed with cancer, and they will live longer due to receiving better treatment and optimized palliative care. Family members will be expected to take on more responsibilities related to providing palliative care at home. Several countries have expressed their vision of making home death an option, but such a vision can be more challenging in rural areas.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDecision-making about palliative sedation for patients with cancer: a qualitative study in five European countries linked to the Palliative sedation project.
BMC Palliat Care
December 2024
Department of Oncology, Laboratory of Experimental Radiotherapy, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Louvain, Belgium.
Background: Palliative sedation refers to the proportional use of titrated medication which reduces consciousness with the aim of relieving refractory suffering related to physical and psychological symptoms and/or existential distress near the end of life. Palliative sedation is intended to be an end of life option that enables healthcare professionals to provide good patient care but there remains controversy on how it is used. Little is known about decision-making processes regarding this procedure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!