APs in the nursing home: caring for those at the end of life

Abstract

Palliative and end-of-life care must be a multidisciplinary approach and can be delivered in a range of settings. As the population ages, many older people who need palliative and end-of-life care may receive this care in a nursing home. The place a person spends their last few days varies, with most people wishing to die at home, whether that be living and dying in their own home or in a nursing or residential home ( Age UK, 2010 ; Munday et al, 2007 ). The final article in this series of 4, with the 3 former looking at hospice care, hospice at home and day care ( Brown and Smith, 2012a , b , c ), will explore the role of the assistant practitioner (AP) in this environment. It will look at the way in which services are responsive to an ageing population and the issues of ageing, also the importance of creating a workforce that can meet this need. Furthermore, consideration will be given to the importance of good-quality care at the end of a person's life within a nursing home setting. Legal and ethical issues will also be examined. There will also be examination of the course that has been developed around end-of-life Care, and comments from a student about her experience.