Friday, 2 August 2019

Palliative care for people with dementia living at home: a systematic review of interventions

Palliative Medicine, 2019 33(7) p.726-42
Rose Miranda, Frances Bunn, Jennifer Lynch, et al 

The aim of this review was to examine evidence on home palliative care interventions in dementia, in terms of their effectiveness on end-of-life care outcomes, factors influencing implementation, the extent to which they address the European Association for Palliative Care palliative care domains and evidence gaps.

None of the evidence found was of high quality.  However, it showed the potential benefits of the interventions in improving end-of-life care outcomes, for example, behavioural disturbances. The interventions most commonly focused on optimal symptom management, continuity of care and psychosocial support.  No direct evidence on facilitators and barriers to implementation was found.

Fulltext available in Palliative Medicine