UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to assess the Palliative care Outcome Scale (POS) for terminally ill nursing home (NH) patients in the Netherlands. METHODS: A prospective observational study of patients with a life-expectancy of six weeks or less in 16 Dutch NHs. NH staff rated the patient characteristics and measured palliative care with the POS, including items on physical, psychosocial, informational, spiritual and practical aspects. RESULTS: POS nonscores (not applicable; unknown) were mainly found in the psychosocial and spiritual domains, particularly in patients with dementia. Mean scores for non-demented patients and patients with dementia were favourable for the majority of the POS items. CONCLUSION: According to the NH staff, fairly good quality care was provided, but the psychosocial and spiritual aspects of care need to be addressed more in the last days of the dying NH patient's life. The results indicate that the POS is an appropriate instrument to assess not only cancer patients, but also non-cancer and (moderately) severely demented patients.
UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to assess the Palliative care Outcome Scale (POS) for terminally ill nursing home (NH) patients in the Netherlands. METHODS: A prospective observational study of patients with a life-expectancy of six weeks or less in 16 Dutch NHs. NH staff rated the patient characteristics and measured palliative care with the POS, including items on physical, psychosocial, informational, spiritual and practical aspects. RESULTS: POS nonscores (not applicable; unknown) were mainly found in the psychosocial and spiritual domains, particularly in patients with dementia. Mean scores for non-demented patients and patients with dementia were favourable for the majority of the POS items. CONCLUSION: According to the NH staff, fairly good quality care was provided, but the psychosocial and spiritual aspects of care need to be addressed more in the last days of the dying NH patient's life. The results indicate that the POS is an appropriate instrument to assess not only cancerpatients, but also non-cancer and (moderately) severely demented patients.
Authors: Mirjam C van Soest-Poortvliet; Jenny T van der Steen; Sheryl Zimmerman; Lauren W Cohen; Maartje S Klapwijk; Mirjam Bezemer; Wilco P Achterberg; Dirk L Knol; Miel W Ribbe; Henrica C W de Vet Journal: Qual Life Res Date: 2011-08-05 Impact factor: 4.147
Authors: Natalia Calanzani; Katrien Moens; Joachim Cohen; Irene J Higginson; Richard Harding; Luc Deliens; Franco Toscani; Pedro L Ferreira; Claudia Bausewein; Barbara A Daveson; Marjolein Gysels; Lucas Ceulemans; Barbara Gomes Journal: BMC Palliat Care Date: 2014-10-23 Impact factor: 3.234
Authors: Willemjan Slort; Annette H Blankenstein; Bart P M Schweitzer; Dirk L Knol; Henriëtte E van der Horst; Neil K Aaronson; Luc Deliens Journal: Palliat Med Date: 2014-06-20 Impact factor: 4.762