The need for advance care planning . . . . .

Yesterday the older people on our Steering Group shared with us their thoughts on end-of-life care, and the feelings of the local community in light of the recent and current media interest in end of life care.  The discussions highlighted that this is a pivotal time for end of life care in Britain.

A view that is reflected in a report published today by Compassion in Dying.   Danielle Hamm, Director shares her thoughts on our report;

“This survey reinforces what our service users tell us; that if the patient is at the centre of decisions made about their end of life care and treatment, they are much more likely to experience a good death. This highlights the importance of promoting Advance Decisions to refuse treatment, and to support patients in taking control of their end of life decision-making.

“With the decision to phase out the Liverpool Care Pathway and replace it with personalised care plans, the Divided in Dying report comes at a pivotal time for end of life care in Britain. We know that planning for the end of life and good communication in end of life care are key to ensuring people die well, we must now shift the focus to ensure that this knowledge results in a change in practice and attitudes. The division between those dying well and those dying badly must become a problem of the past.”

Advance care planning is key, and our project in East London is supporting older people to have these planning discussions by providing individualised 1:1 support, raising awareness of end-of-life rights and providing free training to health and social care staff and volunteers.

To read the full report visit Divided in Dying.